James Franklin, alleged victim spoke

Diposkan oleh silent aja 5:07 AM Post a Comment

A new defense filing in the case involving rape charges against four former Vanderbilt players claims that current Penn State coach James Franklin contacted the alleged victim shortly after the incident, according to a report in the Tennessean.

Defense attorneys for Brandon Vandenburg -- one for four former Commodores charged with five counts of aggravated rape stemming from an alleged on-campus assault against a 21-year-old female student last June -- asked the the court to dismiss the charges because the prosecution failed to preserve key evidence.

In the filing, the defense says Franklin and strength coach Dwight Galt -- who left Vandy for the same jobs at Penn State this winter -- talked to the alleged victim four days after the rape during a medical examination.

Franklin and Galt told the victim 'that they cared about her because she assisted them with recruiting,' according to the filing. Later, the defense said, 'Coach Franklin called her in for a private meeting and told her he wanted her to get 15 pretty girls together and form a team to assist with the recruiting even though he knew it was against the rules. He added that all the other colleges did it.'

Franklin, when reached by phone on Tuesday, repeatedly said he was 'not interested in talking.'

The other former players charged with rape in the case are Cory Batey, Brandon Eric Banks and Jaborian McKenzie.