56-year-old Kemah man accused of sexually assaulting 26-year-old woman he met on Tinder

Professor at Baytown college facing sexual assault charges

KEMAH, Texas - One woman says she wasn’t shocked to hear the news of Charles Finnell, her former professor at Lee College in Baytown. 

What they're saying:

"He said think of me as a stepfather. He usually used it in a metaphorical sense to say he was there to help you but not related to you," said the former student. "He would comment on some of the female students' bodies. There was this girl in the class, he would comment on her figure and stuff." 

We reached out to Lee College for comment. The school tells FOX 26, Finnel has been on administrative leave since October 20-24. 

"On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Lee College learned that the Kemah Police Department arrested Charles Finnell, an employee of the college, who has been on administrative leave since October 2024 in accordance with our internal policies.

The College takes allegations of violence seriously and is committed to maintaining a safe learning and work environment for our students and employees. We will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action as necessary.

As this is an ongoing personnel and legal issue, we cannot comment further at this time." 

Kemah police say the two met on Tinder

The backstory:

According to Kemah Police, it was at Frankie Carter Randolph Park on February 1 around noon where 56-year-old Charles Rodney Finnell and a 26-year-old woman met up after connecting on Tinder. 

Kemah PD says after meeting at the park, the 26-year-old then went to Finnell's house at 500 Bay Avenue in Kemah.  

According to Kemah PD, Finnell made unwanted advances, and the victim tried to leave, but then he allegedly strangled and sexually assaulted her. 

Finnell's attorney reacts to the allegations 

The other side:

"Mr. Finnell adamantly asserts his innocence. The facts will reveal that he did not commit this offense. These allegations are abjectly false. Text messages exist that shed light onto the falseness of this allegation. It is concerning that a controverted assertion is sufficient for law enforcement in this county to pursue such serious criminal charges against someone. We merely ask the public not to jump to conclusions from incomplete and inaccurate information being presented," said Ryan Fremuth, Fremuth Law Group. 

Why you should care:

Trauma therapist shares safe tips for online dating

"Online dating is now a playground for predators, and we know this based on a recent study that looked at the connection between online dating and sexual assault, and it appears that violent predators are using online dating to find their next victim. This is very serious, this is very scary and this is lethally potentially this woman whose story you're showcasing right now. This poor victim is lucky to be alive. It could have turned out way worse for her," said Chau Nguyen. "The truth is you have to be careful so that looks like turning on your location, telling a friend what you're doing and where you're going, possibly doing a background check. You don't know who this person is. He may be charming, flattering, don't know meeting, at a public place, really planning your date to stay safe. This woman is lucky to be alive. It could have been way worse for her."

Chau Nguyen, a trauma therapist, says that surviving sexual assault is possible and it requires the right support. 

"Surviving sexual assault is awful, but it is possible and healing is down that path. You can heal from sexual assault. You can survive, listen, sexual assault survivors experience a litany of issues including PTSD, sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, but with the right support to know they are not alone, whether it be seeking support through counseling, going to support groups, talking to somebody healing is possible," Ngyuen said.