LEWISTON – A local man accused of following a woman to her apartment and forcing her to have sex with him has been officially charged with rape.

Horow Omah Hagi, 43, of 29 Knox St., was indicted Tuesday by an Androscoggin County grand jury on a charge of gross sexual assault.

The grand jury is a group of 15 to 23 people from the community who meet every month to review a list of cases and determine whether the state has probable cause to pursue felony charges against the individuals.

The charge against Hagi stems from an alleged incident on July 10.

Police say that on that day, Hagi approached a woman on Lisbon Street and started grabbing her breasts over her shirt.

According to a police affidavit, Hagi walked into the woman’s apartment and started to take off her clothes. The woman said she didn’t fight because she was scared he would become violent.

Hagi eventually made the woman give him oral sex, then he forced her to have intercourse without a condom, the affidavit says. The woman didn’t call police until two days later, when Hagi allegedly showed up at her apartment.

Hagi claims the sex was consensual.

His arrest came less than a month after he pleaded guilty to stalking a 14-year-old newspaper delivery girl. He was convicted of that charge on June 24 and sentenced to two days in jail, followed by one year of probation.

If convicted of rape, he could be sentenced to 40 years in prison. He is scheduled to appear Friday in Androscoggin County Superior Court to enter a plea.