On the heels of a Big 12 Championship win, one University of Oklahoma football player finds himself accused of rape by instrumentation in connection with    an alleged incident on November 16.  Unfortunately this is a somewhat common occurrence with college and pro athletes.

Oklahoma Sooner Charged with Sexual Assault

According to court records, a 23-year-old woman went to the Cleveland County courthouse to file an emergency protective order against Sooners running back    Rodney Anderson. The woman told police on Monday that she feared for her safety after remembering "this past weekend" the alleged sexual assault that occurred at her home two weeks prior to the report.

The young woman reportedly told investigators that she had been drinking at a local bar when she met Anderson. The two then went to another bar. Eventually,    she claims, Anderson took her back to her Norman apartment "at the insistence of his friends."

The woman told police that following the incident, she remembered consensual kissing before she began vomiting as a result of her intoxication. She insists    that only after talking to a friend over the weekend, two weeks after the alleged incident occurred, that the details of the evening came back to her. She says she now remembers that the football player bit her and digitally penetrated her, and that although she tried to get away, he kept following    her.

In her petition for a protective order, she wrote that she now remembers "me not feeling like I could say anything and trying to get away from him to put clothes on but he followed me asking what I thought I was doing." She asked for the protective order, she says, because "[h]e knows where I live and I'm scared for my safety."

Anderson vehemently denies that allegations against him, and his attorney states that the young woman only filed a sexual assault claim after two weeks of pursuing the football player and having her advances declined:

"Following November 16, 2017, (the woman) attempted to pursue a relationship with Mr. Anderson. While we can only speculate as to (the woman's) motives    in seeking a civil protective order, her claims surfaced only after Mr. Anderson did not reciprocate a desire to pursue a relationship with (the woman).    In fact, Mr. Anderson declined several social invitations from (the woman) between November 16th and December 4th."

A Cleveland County judge issued the emergency protective order at the woman's request, and a hearing is set for December 18 to determine whether a further    protective order is necessary. The University of Oklahoma and Norman police say they are investigating the matter. At this time, no charges have been    filed against Anderson.

His attorney says that in light of the evidence they have of the woman's pursuit of the football player between the time of the alleged incident and the    filing of the petition for emergency protection, he does not expect charges to be filed.

Many college campuses have implemented revised sexual assault policies in an attempt to protect students, but they have largely been seen as a failure as universities are not equipped to handle criminal-like investigations.

Understanding Rape Related Charges in Oklahoma

Looking for more information about rape in the state of Oklahoma?  Visit our Oklahoma City first and second degree rape defense attorney page to find out more about how to fight these charges.