Trending News|August 24, 2015 11:01 EDT
Baylor Bears News: DE Ukwuachu Gets 180 Days in Jail, 10 Years Probation; Internal Investigation Conducted
On Thursday evening, Baylor defensive end Sam Ukwuachu was found guilty of sexual assault, and on Friday evening, he was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years probation for sexually assaulting a female Baylor student-athlete in 2013, Graham Watson of Dr. Saturday reports.
As noted by the report, after hearing hours of testimony and summations Friday, the jury took more than three hours to come back with a sentence of eight years probation. The judge, though, added two more years to the sentence, along with 180 days in county jail and 400 hours of community service.
Back on Oct. 19, 2013, Ukwuachu was found to have sexually assaulted a female soccer player after driving her to his apartment and forcing her to lie down on his bed face down.
As chronicled in a Texas Monthly piece, following the incident, the woman went to a hospital where a nurse specializing in sexual assault examined her. She also met with police, but her case was shelved for months. Charges were finally brought in June 2014.
As pointed out by the Dr. Saturday report, Ukwuachu, a highly touted transfer from Boise State, has had a history of abuse against women and was undergoing anger management classes.
Baylor coach Art Briles said Friday that he had no previous knowledge of Ukwuachu's habitual physical abuse as well as that of his anger management classes. Briles also said that then-Boise State coach Chris Petersen never mentioned any of those when Ukwuachu moved to Baylor.
Petersen has since issued a statement refuting Briles' claims and sat=ying he reached out to the Baylor coach to inform him of Ukwuachu's background.
"After consulting this afternoon with the Baylor executive board of regents, the executive council and academic leadership, Baylor President and Cahncellor Ken starr called for a comprehensive internal inquiry into the circumstances associated with this case and the conduct of the offices involved," a Baylor statement read.