UWF Football Player Facing Sexual Assault Charges
A University of West Florida football player was arrested recently on sexual assault charges. The 21-year-old student is charged with two counts of sexual assault on a victim 18 or older. He’s facing a related count regarding video dissemination of the sexual encounter. Few details have been released at this time concerning the charges. The defendant is being held in Escambia County Jail without bond. The player has been suspended from the team indefinitely.
The defendant is a defensive lineman from Eight Mile, Alabama. He transferred to UWF prior to the beginning of this season after playing at William Penn University in Iowa.
Sexual assault charges in Florida
Florida Statutes 794.011 defines the crime of sexual assault and related crimes. According to the statute:
A person 18 years of age or older who commits sexual battery upon a person 18 years of age or older without that person’s consent, under any of the circumstances listed in paragraph (e), commits a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 794.0115.
Paragraph (e) defines special circumstances that trigger this statute. These include:
- The victim was helpless and unable to resist.
- The offender coerces the victim to submit by threatening to use force or violence likely to cause serious personal injury on the victim, and the victim reasonably believes that the offender has the present ability to execute that threat.
- The offender coerces the victim to submit by threatening to retaliate against the victim, or any other person, and the victim reasonably believes that the offender has the ability to execute that threat in the future.
- The offender, without prior knowledge or consent of the victim, administers or has knowledge of someone else administering to the victim any narcotic, anesthetic, or other intoxicating substance that mentally or physically incapacitates the victim.
- The victim is mentally defective, and the offender has reason to believe this or has actual knowledge of this fact.
- The victim is physically incapacitated.
- The offender is a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional probation officer.
In any of these cases, the defendant can be charged with a first-degree felony in Florida on the charges of sexual assault. A first-degree felony is punishable by up to a maximum term of life in prison. If the defendant did not use physical force likely to injure the victim, then they can be charged with a second-degree felony which has a maximum sentence of 15 years in state prison.
Talk to a Tallahassee, FL Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
If you’re facing sexual assault charges in Florida, then you will need an experienced criminal defense lawyer to get out in front of the charges and ensure a result you can live with. Call the Tallahassee criminal defense attorneys at Luke Newman, P.A. today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin preparing your defense immediately.
Source:
weartv.com/news/local/uwf-football-player-arrested-on-sexual-assault-charges
