Jameial Lyons and Kaveion Keys, a pair of former Penn State football players who face felony charges of rape and other sex crimes, appeared in court Wednesday. An unsecured bond was set for Lyons at $500,000 and an unsecured bond for Keys was set at $400,000.
Penn State University police were notified on July 8 of a sexual assault that took place on campus at Nittany Apartments, at the residence of Keys and Lyons, according to the criminal complaint released Wednesday.
A 17-year-old female Penn State student reported to officers that on July 7 she was forcefully raped by both men, per the complaint. A second woman who was in their apartment that night, referred to in court documents as Victim 2, said that she awoke with her pants removed and that Lyons “digitally penetrated her vagina,” according to the complaint. The attorney for both players has not responded to multiple messages from The Athletic seeking comment.
The 17-year-old woman — referred to as Victim 1 in the complaint — said she left a gathering and went to Keys and Lyons’ apartment that night, where she and two other women were provided alcohol. She said she did not have a formal relationship with either man but had previously communicated with Lyons on Instagram and via text messages.
Per the complaint, Victim 1 said she watched TV with Keys and Lyons in Lyons’ bedroom while both football players smoked marijuana. She told police she lay on the bed and heard Lyons and Keys talking while she attempted to sleep.
She said in the complaint that both approached her, digitally penetrated her and forced her to perform oral sex on them. She said she attempted to push them away but was unable to do so, and told officers her face was pushed into the mattress and her arms restrained while she was choked several times and sexually assaulted.
During the assault, Victim 1 said she saw a flash, which she thought was the result of Keys and Lyons recording her with a cell phone. Both denied making a recording. Victim 1 said she eventually got away and screamed at the men, at which point Lyons grabbed her, carried her outside and dropped her on the ground, according to the complaint.
Per the complaint, Lyons told Victim 1 “you’re not coming back here ever” and “stay the f— out of our life.”
It was then that Victim 2 said she woke up, went to the bathroom to vomit and was then led out of the bathroom by Lyons. Lyons took her to his bedroom, where she fell asleep in Lyons’ bed fully clothed. She said she woke up with her pants removed and Lyons touching her vagina, which she did not consent to, per the complaint.
A search warrant of Keys and Lyons’ residence was issued on July 8. Per the complaint, Keys denied knowing Victim 1 and denied engaging in sexual contact with any of the women in the apartment that night. Lyons, the complaint states, said he had sex with Victim 1 and acknowledged having Keys’ cell phone during the incident, though he denied making a recording. Lyons said he believed the sex with Victim 1 was consensual, but also said he was aware that Victim 1 would “likely report the situation to the police,” the complaint says.
Both Lyons and Keys’ cell phones were examined. A short video showing “indecent contact” with Victim 1 was found on Keys’ camera roll, per the police. There was also a witness, referred to in the complaint as Witness 1, who was in the apartment that night and saw Lyons remove Victim 1 from the residence.
Both players were put on interim suspension over the summer to deal with what Penn State described as a “personal matter.” Neither was on the practice field on July 31, the first day of Penn State football practice. By Aug. 3, both were removed from the roster and coach James Franklin would not entertain questions about their removal from the team and the university.
It was unclear at the time of publication if either Lyons or Keys had posted bond. A preliminary hearing for both Lyons and Keys has been scheduled for Oct. 30 at 8:30 a.m. ET.
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Ex-Penn State football players charged with rape, other sex crimes
(Photo of Jameial Lyons (19): Dan Rainville / USA Today)
