Two former Penn State football players accused of raping a student gave police differing accounts of what happened, according to charging documents made public Wednesday.
Jameial J. Lyons Jr., 19, of Philadelphia, was accused of raping a 17-year-old Penn State student July 7 at an on-campus apartment. He was also accused of groping, digital penetration and forcing her to perform oral sex.
Kaveion A. Keys, 19, of Virginia, was accused of similar sexual violence against the teen. A short video of the contact with their accuser was found on a cellphone Lyons possessed, university police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
Lyons was also charged for indecently assaulting a second woman who was intoxicated. Neither woman consented to the sexual contact, police wrote.
Each were arraigned Wednesday morning by District Judge Don Hahn, who set Lyons’ bail at $500,000 unsecured and Keys’ bail at $400,000. They will remain free and neither was required to post bail unless they violate their bail conditions.
When speaking with investigators, Keys denied engaging in sexual contact with any of the three females who were in the apartment, police wrote in the affidavit.
Lyons, meanwhile, admitted to having sex with the student who reported the assault, police wrote. He told investigators he believed the contact was consensual, but said he was aware she would “likely report the situation to the police.”
The student told officers she met Lyons and Keys at an off-campus location in State College. She, along with two other women, left and went back to their apartment complex. All three were given alcoholic beverages, police wrote.
After the alleged assault began, the student told investigators she tried to push them off but was unable because of their size, police wrote. Lyons was listed as 6 feet, 5 inches tall and 250 pounds. Keys was listed as 6 feet, 3 inches tall and 225 pounds.
She told police she was restrained and choked during the rape.
Once she managed to get free, police wrote that Lyons carried her outside, dropped her to the ground and told her she was “not coming back here ever.” The altercation was witnessed by the other woman who was in the apartment, police wrote.
Lyons was charged with felony counts of rape, aggravated indecent assault and voluntary deviate sexual intercourse. He was also charged with misdemeanor counts of indecent assault and invasion of privacy.
Keys was charged with felony counts of rape, aggravated indecent assault and sexual assault, as well as a misdemeanor count of indecent assault.
They turned themselves in Wednesday. Their preliminary arraignment was moved to 11 a.m. from 2 p.m., a change that wasn’t listed on online docket sheets as of at least 10 a.m. No defense lawyer was listed for either man.
Each has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 30. Such hearings are routinely pushed back.
Lyons and Keys were initially placed on interim suspension at the end of July to “deal with a personal matter,” according to a team spokesperson at the time — about a month before the start of the Nittany Lions’ season.
The statement came after neither player was seen at the team’s first fall practice in a portion open to the media.
Days after being suspended, the team spokesperson said the two were no longer enrolled at the university and were removed from the team’s roster.
“We are aware of the serious charges against Mr. Keys and Mr. Lyons, who are no longer enrolled at the University,” Penn State wrote in a statement Tuesday. “The safety of our community is our top priority, and Penn State takes any report of sexual assault or misconduct very seriously and investigates any and all reports.”
Lyons, a defensive end, was projected to fill a top reserve role after recording one sack last year as a true freshman. Keys, a linebacker, was expected to see an increased role at linebacker after he redshirted last season.
Neither appears to have landed with another program since their departure.
Undefeated and ranked No. 3, the Nittany Lions are off to one of the strongest starts during coach James Franklin’s decade-long tenure in Happy Valley.
The team will play Saturday at unranked Wisconsin before returning home Nov. 2 to play No. 4 Ohio State in a game that’s expected to be pivotal in the Big 10 standings.
Franklin is to speak with the media Wednesday evening following his team’s practice.
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