(LOS ANGELES) — A former USC college football player has been charged with raping two women in the past three years, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The suspect, 22-year-old Joshua Fred James Jackson Jr., was arrested on Wednesday and charged with one felony count of forcible sexual penetration and three felony counts of forcible rape from two separate incidents, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced in a press release on Wednesday.
“Sexual assault is a heinous crime that cannot be tolerated,” Gascón said. “These brave women made the difficult decision to come forward and report their assault, now it’s our turn to ensure that justice is done. We will do everything we can to hold the person responsible accountable for his actions.”
The arrest comes after Jackson Jr. allegedly raped a classmate at her University of Southern California apartment in March of this year. The suspect is also accused of raping a UCLA student sometime between June 1 and Sept. 1, 2020 at his apartment in Los Angeles, authorities said.
Jackson Jr. is now expected to be arraigned this week at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center after the case was filed for warrant on Tuesday.
Jackson Jr., a former standout student athlete at Harbor City Narbonne, appeared in three games after enrolling at USC in 2020 but entered the NCAA transfer portal in April before graduating from the university in May, according to the Los Angeles Times. He did not play any games last season.
Authorities are asking for anybody with information regarding these cases or any other potential alleged victims to contact the Los Angeles Police Department at 323-290-2976 or 877-LAPD-24-7.
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