A university spokesman says Temple football player Praise Martin-Oguike has been suspended from the team in the wake of the sexual assault charges filed against him.
Up until he was charged, the 6'1, 220 pounder had been a linebacker with the Temple Owls.
Police say it was back on the night of Saturday, May 26, Memorial Day weekend, that a 21-year-old woman, a student at the university, alleges she was in Martin-Oguike's fourth floor dorm room at Temple's 1940 residence hall in the 1300 block of West Norris Street.
She claims the football player tried to kiss her and she told him no. The 21-year-old says she then tried to leave and Martin-Oguike allegedly grabbed her by the throat and dragged her into his bedroom where he allegedly raped and assaulted her.
She further states that he then took her downstairs and signed her out of the dormitory as if nothing had happened.
Finally, the victim says, a couple hours later, he text messaged her asking, "Are you gonna press charges?"
She did not respond, but went to police shortly thereafter.
On Monday night, students were surprised to learn about the alleged assault on campus.
"We get notifications by emails when incidents like this happen, [but] not this one. Nothing was said," senior Hoen Tren said.
"That's concerning cause we didn't receive any info on that," junior Lisa Diehl said.
Praise Martin-Oguike has been charged with aggravated assault, forcible rape, sexual assault, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment among other charges.
He is currently out on bail, awaiting a preliminary hearing now set for June 14th.
