Jul 16, 2007 6:17 pm US/Central
'U' Football Player Charged With Rape
by Caroline Lowe
Minneapolis (WCCO) ―
Prosecutors charged a University of Minnesota football player with felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly raping an 18-year-old woman in April.
Police arrested strong safety Dominic L. Jones, 20, Sunday night at his residence in University Village. He is being held in the Hennepin County Jail awaiting his first court appearance which is expected Tuesday. His bail has not yet been set.
Prosecutors said a BCA report found physical evidence on the victim's red shirt that linked Jones to the case. Investigators also say they found cell phone video that shows Jones in a sex act with a drunken woman.
Prosecutors said Jones was involved in an incident at the University Village apartments late on the night of April 3 or early April 4. On April 6, a woman told police she was raped late in the University Village complex.
The woman was taken to a local hospital and evidence was collected.
A friend of Jones had taken a video on his cell phone at the apartment that night. The file was deleted, but forensic experts examining the phone were able to recover a portion of the deleted file. The female in the video was unresponsive and was identified as the victim. The male in the video was identified as Jones.
The woman was drunk at the time of the incident, with a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit for driving, police said. The criminal complaint states the victim had been challenged to a drinking contest while socializing with a group of football players. She consumed eight shots of straight vodka.
Three members of the University of Minnesota football team were arrested in April and spent a weekend in jail, accused of rape. One of those arrested was Jones' brother, Keith Massey. Two other Gopher players, including Jones' high school teammate, Alex Daniels and E.J. Jones were also arrested in the incident. None have been charged with any crime.
"The investigation reveals victim was challenged to and did consume a substantial amount of alcohol that night. Daniels, Massey and E.J. Jones took the victim into the bedroom and conducted multiple sex acts that night," said Mike Freeman, Hennepin County Attorney.
Jones did not become a suspect until a couple of weeks after the three other Gopher players were released.
"This one took a very unexpected turn," Freeman said, referring to the DNA evidence and cell phone video that brought Dominic Jones into the case.
Jones, a junior, is strong safety from Columbus, Ohio. He is one of the Gophers' best defensive players, a two-year starter who is also a standout kick returner. He was arrested at his apartment in University Village.
If convicted, Jones could face up to 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine.
The three players who have not been charged are still suspended from the football team as they remain suspects.
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