3 Mo. College Basketball Players Charged in Rape of Female Student

Three Missouri college basketball players have been arrested in the rape of a female student.

According to Fox 2 Now, three Lindenwood University students—Tylan Birts, Ermias Nega and Bradley Newman—were arrested Thursday. Birts and Nega were charged with second-degree rape, while Newman was charged with second-degree invasion of privacy.

According to a statement provided by the accuser, all three men, juniors at the university, were at Birts' off-campus residence. The woman says that she had consensual sex with Nega and that he left the room and told the other two men that she was "ready" to have sex with them. According to authorities, Birts entered the darkened room and began having sex with the woman. When she realized that Birts was not Nega, she turned on the lights and saw Nega hiding in the corner of the room, authorities say.

According to the statement, Nega told the woman that she would be shamed if she told anyone about the incident, Fox 2 Now reports.

A spokesperson for Lindenwood University told the news station that the athletes have been suspended from the basketball team and that the university was cooperating with investigators and had launched its own investigation.

Read more at Fox 2 Now.