Two Sacred Heart College football players have been fully cleared by police after being suspended from the team last year and seeing their scholarships revoked following rape accusations. As it turns out, the alleged victim was lying the entire time.
What Happened?
Nikki Yovino, 18, of South Setauket, New York, has been charged with second-degree falsely reporting an incident and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, according to the Connecticut Post. On October 15, police responded to a sexual assault complaint where Yovino told them she attended a Sacred Heart football club party the night before at a house on Lakeside Drive in Bridgeport. Yovino then claimed that two men pulled her into a basement bathroom and took turns forcefully sexually assaulting her.
“I don’t want to be in here, I don’t want to do anything,” police said she claimed to tell both men. “My friends are waiting for me outside, let me go outside.”
Both men admitted to having sex with Yovino, but claimed that it was consensual. Other students said it appeared as if Yovino went into the bathroom willingly with both men, which prompted Bridgeport Police Detective Walberto Cotto Jr. to further question Yovino.
What’s The Real Story?
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, one student said he overheard Yovino telling both men that she wanted to have sex with them.
“She admitted that she made up the allegation of sexual assault against the (football players) because it was the first thing that came to mind and she didn’t want to lose (another male student) as a friend and potential boyfriend. She stated that she believed when (the other male student) heard the allegation it would make him angry and sympathetic to her,” according to the affidavit.
Yovino’s attorney, Mark Sherman, said he had not yet been provided with police reports and video footage related to the case. He did, however, say that he expects Yovino to plead not guilty at her arraignment on March 3.
Who Is Nikki Yovino?
Nikki Yovino, 18, is a Sacred Heart student from South Setauket, New York. She has been released on a $5,000 bond, but still faces up to five years in prison on a federal charge of tampering if convicted.
Where It Happened
[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d48042.312303736544!2d-73.23402575489985!3d41.185920041353725!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x89e8092a96783719%3A0xdf8bfca7094fcece!2sBridgeport%2C+CT!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1487871260733&w=750&h=400]
