$100K bail for man charged with assaulting dancer.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Brian Lee

SOUTHBRIDGE - A man who hired a private dancer became enraged when she refused to have sex, police said, then choked her and hit her with the butt of a BB handgun.

Jason Watson, 27, of 380 Hamilton St., Apt. 1, pleaded not guilty in Dudley District Court yesterday to armed robbery, kidnapping for extortion while armed, impersonating a police officer, assault and battery, four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and threatening to commit a crime.

Mr. Watson was ordered held on $100,000 bail and is to return to court tomorrow for a dangerousness hearing.

The incident occurred about 12:30 a.m. Sunday in Mr. Watson's apartment, police said. Police went to the area on a report of a disturbance.

Four women flagged down Patrolman Brian F. Haggerty. One of them was bleeding profusely from a head wound, a police report said. She was taken by ambulance to Harrington Hospital.

The women told police her client wanted more than a dance, and when she refused to have sex with him, he choked and beat her.

Authorities said Mr. Watson led two dancers into his bedroom. He noted that he had requested only one dancer, and escorted one of the women out of the apartment and locked the front door, police said.

Mr. Watson brought the remaining dancer back to his room and locked the bedroom door. He allegedly flashed what the dancer said was a "paper badge" and identified himself as a federal agent, police said.

He pulled out what the woman thought was a handgun, instructing her to give him her purse while he pointed the gun at her face, police said.

The woman panicked and ran for the door. Mr. Watson allegedly grabbed the back of her hair and pulled her, putting the gun to her head. He threatened to shoot and then hit her with the butt of the gun, causing her to fall, investigators said.

The woman struggled with the assailant and broke free momentarily. She unlocked the bedroom door and ran to the living room area. But Mr. Watson grabbed and choked her, police said.

The woman screamed, but Mr. Watson used his other hand to cover her mouth and nose, police said. She said she started to lose consciousness.

Mr. Watson eventually took his hand off her mouth and asked if she was going to calm down. She told him she would, and offered to give him anything he wanted, police said.

As he began to release her, she grabbed her purse, ran toward the door and yelled for help...