Vanderbilt Player Involved in Rape Cover-Up Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor
LatestOne of the former Vanderbilt football players involved in the aggravated rape and battery of an unconscious female student earlier this year pleaded guilty on Friday to a misdemeanor.
Chris Boyd, the 21-year-old receiver who was indicted back in mid-August, was facing a two-year felony charge for allegedly helping to cover up the sexual assault, but, according to Reuters, he was placed on probation for a year in exchange for his testimony against his four former teammates. The plea allows Boyd to stay in school, and ensures that, if he can stay out of trouble for a year, his record will be expunged.
Those teammates — Brandon Vandenburg, 20, Corey Batey, 19, Brandon Banks, 19, and Jaborian McKenzie, 19 — have all been accused of rape and battery. Earlier this summer, they were dismissed from Vanderbilt’s football team and banned from the university’s Nashville campus. The rapes are alleged to have occurred in Vandenburg’s dorm room, and he’s been charged with tampering with evidence and unlawful photography. Two of Vandenburg’s friends await extradition from another state for their role in the crime.
Vanderbilt footballer pleads guilty to lesser charge in rape case [Reuters]
Image via Getty, Stacey Revere