UPDATED: Two football players turn themselves in for rape charges
Two USD student-athletes charged with rape were bailed out of jail Tuesday afternoon.
Football players Danny Rambo, a junior, and Dale Williamson, a sophomore, were charged with one count of second degree rape and one count of attempted second degree rape, respectively.
Rambo’s bond was set at $25,000 and Williamson’s was set at $20,000.
According to the affidavit for arrest, the initial complaint was made by someone other than the victim.
It states, “The victim was very reluctant about having an investigation started due to the backlash she believed she would suffer from the football team, student population and community.”
Around 10:26 p.m., after watching a movie in senior Adam Harris’s bedroom, the victim’s two friends left the residence, according to the affidavit. Rambo and Williamson left the bedroom as well.
The victim stated that she and Harris began to have consensual sex. During that time, the affidavit states Rambo and Williamson entered the bedroom without the victim’s knowledge. Without the victim’s consent or knowledge, Rambo approached her from behind and inserted his fingers into her vagina.
The affidavit said he left the room after the victim stopped him.
Williamson attempted on two occasions to force the victim to give him oral sex. The victim told Harris to get Williamson out of the room. He left and later reentered, and the victim again told Harris to get him to leave, the affidavit said.
“The victim stated that Adam (Harris) did not seem surprised at all that Danny (Rambo) and Dale (Williamson) entered the room while they were having sex and he did not initiate asking Danny (Rambo) or Dale (Williamson) to leave the room,” according to the affidavit.
There are no charges against Harris at this time, but he is still suspended from the football team.
Khara Iverson, USD’s Chief Title IX Officer, is conducting her own investigation into the complaint.
“They are not suspended from school, they have been previously indefinitely suspended from football, and that was a decision made by coach Nielson for violation of their football policy,” she said. “So right now I can’t speak about an ongoing investigation because that is exactly what it is.”
The circumstances in which a student who’s charged with sexual assault would be suspended are determined on a “case by case basis,” she said.
“I can’t really comment on that because of the ongoing investigation that we currently have,” she said.
Iverson was unable to comment on safety concerns for the victim.
In an article by Keloland, vice president and dean of students Kim Grieve acknowledged that the victim could run into the two men that are charged with raping her.
“There is a chance that could happen, absolutely,” she said.
Grieve also said in the article the victim does have the option to ask for interim measures to be taken in the meantime, if she has any concerns about running into the football players on campus. So far that hasn’t happened.
Once she receives a complaint, the administrative investigation normally takes 20 business days, Iverson said.
“However, if there is good reason or cause to extend that time period, all parties involved will be updated and told the reason why it was being extended,” she said.
One reason why an investigation may be delayed is if a party is unable to cooperate or participate in the investigation, Iverson said.
“We can also delay any type of investigation if there is a concurrent criminal investigation during that fact-finding period,” she said.
This is done so as not to interfere with a criminal investigation, Iverson added.
Here is an interview with Grieve about how students can report on sexual assault and what resources are available to them. Katie Ryan | Coyote News
Tena Haraldson, director of communications, said there are several processes that are working independently of each other following these charges.
“They’re still suspended from football indefinitely, and that’s coach Nielson’s decision,” she said. “He is doing that based on team rules, as coaches have control over his own program. That is totally up to the coach, and he doesn’t have to enumerate rules so he would have to explain that, but the allegation first came to our attention on Wednesday and we turned it over to the police right away.”
Bryan Boettcher, assistant athletic director for sports information, said the indefinite suspension “won’t change.”
Asked if and under which circumstances the men would be dismissed from the team, Boettcher said, “It’s an indefinite suspension.”
The Volante has been unable to get in contact with football head coach Bob Nielson.
Boettcher said any conversations that are being had with the football team will likely be kept internal.
Khara Iverson, the USD Title IX officer, is handling the Title IX investigation.
“She has quite a bit of paperwork and reporting to do,” Haraldson said. “There are different time limits that she has to meet going forward so she’s handling all of that, and that probably won’t come to any kind of conclusion right away.”
The Volante has reached out to Iverson for comment.
Both men live off campus and the alleged sexual assault happened off campus.
“There’s a student disciplinary procedure for breaking rules of the school, and that’s something that comes under the dean of students,”Haraldson said. “But again, it’s too early to say on that because they did not live on campus. They didn’t live on campus and none of this happened on campus, so as of right now they are still students and it will kind of depend on what happens from here on out.”
USD athletic director David Herbster said in a statement Tuesday morning that the department is taking the accusation “very seriously.”
When contacted by The Volante, Herbster’s office referred all questions to Haraldson.
Haraldson said while action may be wanted right away, there are reasons why these processes take time.
“It’s just an unfortunate situation. It hurts the image of USD, it hurts the athletic team, the football team is going to be affected by this,” she said. “It’s their comrades, but yet it is also their pride of their team, so I think everybody is going to be dealing with it for a long time.”
The Volante will post updates to this story as they become available.
Two USD student-athletes turned themselves in after warrants for their arrest were issued by the Vermillion Police Department earlier today.
According to a VPD press release, junior Danny Rambo and sophomore Dale Williamson and were charged with one count of second degree rape and one count of attempted second degree rape, respectively.
Rambo’s bond is set at $25,000 and Williamson’s is set at $20,000, according to the Clay County Sheriff inmate list.
A criminal complaint was filed today regarding a sexual assault incident that occurred on Oct. 22.
Both student-athletes were held from last week’s football game because of “a team policy violation,” said head coach Bob Nielson on Saturday.
Both players are still listed on the roster, according to goyotes.com.
President Abbott released a statement Monday evening. He said the university will continue to work with VPD following their arrests.
“This is a very troubling accusation, and university police will assist the Vermillion investigation in any way possible,” Abbott said. “The university is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all of our students.”
Senior Adam Harris was also held from the Oct. 28 game, but has no charges against him at this time.
Investigation of the incident is ongoing.
USD released a statement about an off-campus sexual assault Wednesday.
The university received a complaint Wednesday about the alleged sexual assault involving students. According to the statement, the complaint is being investigated by law enforcement and “the appropriate university authorities.”
The Vermillion Police Department is in charge of the investigation.
Haraldson said in an email that there is no immediate danger to the public.
“We would use the alert system if law enforcement advised there was danger,” Haraldson said.
CORRECTION: In an earlier version of the story, Haraldson’s title was incorrectly identified. The Volante regrets the error.
