Updated 8:40 p.m. Oct. 23.
Criminal complaints released Wednesday provide new information about the rape and indecent assault charges against two former Penn State football players who were dismissed from the team over the summer.
Kaveion A. Keys and Jameial J. Lyons Jr., both 19, are accused of raping a 17-year-old Penn State student in July at their campus apartment and filming part of the assault. Lyons is also accused of indecently assaulting another female the same night.
Both men were arraigned on Wednesday morning in State College by District Judge Don Hahn. Lyons was released on $500,000 unsecured bail and Keys was released on $400,000 unsecured bail.
According to the complaints filed by Penn State police, the 17-year-old reported that she and two other females went to Keys’ and Lyons’ Nittany Apartments residence after meeting them on the night of July 6 at an off-campus gathering. She told investigators that all three were provided alcohol at both locations.
After the other two females fell asleep, the two men smoked marijuana while watching TV with the girl in Keys’ bedroom, according to the complaint. She felt she was becoming impaired from the smoke and attempted to go to sleep on the bed, police wrote.
She told police that Keys and Lyons then sexually assaulted and raped her, and that she tried to push them off of her but was unable to because of their size. She said that her arms were restrained and she was strangled to the point of being unable to breathe on several occasions, according to the affidavit. At one point, Keys stepped on her head to push it into the mattress, police wrote.
She also recalled seeing a “flash” and believed Keys and Lyons were recording her.
After resisting and eventually managing to get away, she screamed at the two men, police wrote. Lyons carried her outside the apartment, dropped her on the ground and told her “bitch you’re not coming back here ever,” according to the affidavit.
The altercation awoke the other two females, one of whom went to the bathroom to vomit. She told police that Lyons led her out of the bathroom and to his bedroom, where she fell asleep with her clothes on. When she woke up, she said, her pants were removed and Lyons was touching her genitals, according to the affidavit.
Police executed a search warrant on the apartment the next day. Keys denied knowing the 17-year-old and said that, while females were in the apartment, he did not have sexual contact with any of them, police wrote.
Lyons told police that he had sex with the girl, that Keys participated and that he believed it was consensual, but that he was aware she would likely go to the police, according to the affidavit. He also demonstrated the way he held the girl’s arms and grabbed her neck, police wrote.
He admitted to being in possession of Keys’ cell phone during the alleged assault, but denied recording the encounter, police wrote.
Police examined both men’s cell phones and found “a short video documenting indecent contact” with the girl on Keys’ phone, according to the affidavit.
Lyons is charged with felony counts of rape, aggravated indecent assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, as well as misdemeanor counts of indecent assault and invasion of privacy.
Keys is charged with felony counts of rape, aggravated indecent assault and sexual assault and a misdemeanor count of indecent assault.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Oct. 30.
“We are aware of the serious charges against Mr. Keys and Mr. Lyons, who are no longer enrolled at the University,” a statement provided by Penn State on Tuesday read. “The safety of our community is our top priority, and Penn State takes any report of sexual assault or misconduct very seriously and investigates any and all reports.”
Keys, a linebacker from Richmond, Virginia, and Lyons, a defensive end from Philadelphia, were removed from the Penn State football team prior to the start of preseason practice this summer and a program spokesperson confirmed at the time that they were no longer enrolled at the university. Both were about to enter their second seasons with the Nittany Lion football program.
Prior to the start of coach James Franklin’s post-practice media availability on Wednesday night, a team spokesperson told reporters the program would have no further comment beyond the statement released on Tuesday. When a reporter began to ask Franklin about the case, Franklin stepped aside and the spokesperson said “We released a university statement. Do I need to read the statement again?”
Another reporter then asked Franklin at what point during the summer he was aware Keys and Lyons would not be on the team. Franklin walked away and the spokesperson again said there would be no further comment.
Franklin returned to the microphone after reporters confirmed they had questions about the team’s game on Saturday at Wisconsin.
