Former USC football player Joshua Jackson Jr. was arrested and charged with raping two women from the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascôn announced the charges on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating and is currently seeking other women who may have experienced sexual assault at the hands of Jackson.
“Sexual assault is a heinous crime that cannot be tolerated,” District Attorney 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.”
Jackson, 21, was arrested in Los Angeles and booked on one felony count of forcible sexual penetration and three felony counts of forcible rape. His bail was set at $1.4 million.
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According to the LAPD, Jackson Jr. is accused of raping a female UCLA student inside his USC apartment sometime between June 1 and September 1 of 2020.
The next assault occurred in March of this year, when Jackson Jr. reportedly raped a female USC classmate inside her campus apartment.
Jackson Jr. was a standout wide-receiver at Harbor City Narbonne, and joined the Trojans as a three-star recruiting prospect in 2020. Jackson appeared in four games during his freshman season as a WR and on special teams, but never recorded a catch.
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In the spring of 2021, he switched positions to cornerback. He appeared in seven games for the Trojans that season, a tumultuous year that saw the program fire longtime head coach Clay Helton after just two games. Jackson Jr. started two games in 2021 made nine tackles, and had one interception and a deflection.
Jackson Jr. did not play for new head coach Lincoln Riley in 2022, as he was plagued by injuries. He graduated USC in May and announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal.
In a statement, USC President Carol L. Folt said, "We are deeply saddened by the news of these allegations against Joshua Jackson Jr. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We will continue to cooperate fully with the LAPD investigation."
The USC football team also released a statement, saying, "We are aware of the allegations against Joshua Jackson Jr. and are deeply troubled by them. We will continue to cooperate fully with the LAPD investigation."
Jackson is the latest in a string of high-profile college athletes to be accused of sexual assault. In recent years, there have been numerous cases of college athletes being accused of raping or sexually assaulting women.
These cases have raised questions about the culture of college athletics and the way that universities handle sexual assault allegations.
In some cases, universities have been accused of not doing enough to protect women from sexual assault. In other cases, universities have been accused of punishing athletes who have been accused of sexual assault.
Jackson Jr. appeared in court on Thursday, June 8, 2023, and plead not guilty. He is expected to return to court on July 21 for a preliminary hearing.
In a statement sent to NBC News, Jackson Jr.'s attorney, Kerry L. Armstrong, said, "Let me just say that Mr. Jackson adamantly denies raping either complaining witness in this case, and he adamantly denies being sexually inappropriate in any way with either accuser. The interactions between Joshua and both women were 100% consensual, and we look forward to proving his innocence in court."
