A University of South Florida football player has been arrested by police on charges of sexual battery and false imprisonment after he allegedly forced himself onto a female student.
22-year-old LaDarrius Jackson, a defensive end of the USF football team, was taken into custody on Monday, May 1.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Jackson allegedly assaulted a female student on Monday afternoon inside of a campus dorm room. The arrest report states that USF Police got a 911 call around 3:00 P.M. reporting a sexual battery that had taken place half an hour earlier at the school’s Holly Drive Apartments.
Via Tampa Bay Times:
According to an arrest report filed by USF police, Jackson forced a woman to perform sex Monday afternoon despite her verbal and physical efforts to resist him. He forced her into her room after she placed her hands on a wall in an attempt to stop him, the report says, then pushed her onto the bed and straddled her.
The victim told investigators she did not leave the room because she feared Jackson — who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 243 pounds — would try to stop her, the report says.
Jackson has since been charged with sexual assault/sexual battery on a person 18 or older and false imprisonment/kidnapping of an adult. While the police say that the victim and suspect “were known acquaintances,” the exact nature of the two’s relationship is unknown.
In a statement from the Univesity of South Florida, newly hired head coach Charlie Strong said Jackson has been removed from all team activities for the time being.
“We are aware of the charges filed against Jackson. While we find the allegations troubling, we will continue to gather information and support the judicial process before providing further comment.”
Furthermore, according to university police Captain Mike Klingbiel, Jackson was just about to board a plane home as spring semester just ended. He was contacted by authorities and detained at Tampa International Airport.
“We have nothing to believe he was fleeing because of the incident,” Klingbiel said. “He was simply there flying home. We called him. He didn’t get on the plane; he waited for us.”
Jackson, a 6’4″, 243-pound junior defensive end, played in seven games last season, accumulating three tackles. He joined the University of South Florida football team after transferring from Hinds Community College in Jackson, Mississippi.
