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published on September 15, 2016 - 10:00 AM
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(AP) — Utah prosecutors filed rape charges Thursday against a University of Southern California football player who is also under investigation for an alleged sexual assault in California involving the same victim.


Osa Masina is accused of sexually assaulting the woman after she passed out following a party the night of July 25 in a Salt Lake City suburb, according to charging documents filed by Utah authorities Thursday.

The woman, 19, told investigators the assaults occurred after drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana at a party with Masina, whom she had known for several years.

Masina is charged with one count of rape and two counts of forcible sodomy.

Masina, 19, acknowledged having sex with the woman but said it was consensual, said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.

Masina turned himself into police Thursday morning after returning to Utah following his suspension from USC and has cooperated with investigators, defense attorney Greg Skordas said. Skordas declined to comment on the charges, saying he had not yet seen evidence gathered about the case.

Masina and teammate Don Hill are also under investigation for an alleged sexual assault July 14 at an off-campus apartment in California that happened after the alleged victim visited Masina for several days, court documents said. Gill declined to elaborate on the relationship between Masina and the alleged victim.

Masina and Hill are accused of assaulting the woman at Hill’s off-campus apartment after giving her marijuana, alcohol and the anti-anxiety prescription drug Xanax, the court documents said. Masina took video of the alleged assault and sent it to the victim’s ex-boyfriend, the documents said. No charges have been filed in the California case.

Masina is a Utah native who played at Brighton High School.

Skordas said Masina was expected to be booked into jail on Thursday. Court documents said prosecutors asked for bail to be set at $250,000, arguing the two alleged sexual assaults show a disturbing pattern of behavior by Masina.

“This evidence suggests that the Utah incident was neither a one-time event nor a spontaneous occurrence, and therefore raises concerns about the safety of others,” said court documents filed by prosecutors.

Skordas said he wants to have the bail amount lowered, saying Masina is a first-time alleged offender.

USC announced the suspensions of Masina and Hill on Tuesday. USC athletics spokesman Tim Tessalone on Thursday declined further comment.


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