A University of Nebraska football player from the Bay Area facing "revenge porn" charges stemming from a sexually explicit video he’s accused of sending to his ex-girlfriend made his first appearance in court Wednesday afternoon.
Maurice Washington III, who plays running back for the University of Nebraska, flew back to his native San Jose to appear in court, but did not enter a plea because the hearing was postponed to allow him time to hire a private attorney in California.
Washington walked out of court flanked by family members and declined to answer questions from reporters, saying he would let his attorney speak on his behalf.
NBC Bay Area first broke the news in February that Washington was facing a felony child pornography charge and a misdemeanor "revenge porn" charge after his high school girlfriend, now 18, accused him of sending her a video last year of her being sexually assaulted by two former classmates.
Washington did not record the video and did not take part in the alleged assault, but is accused of keeping the video on his phone and sending it to the victim last March, along with the message, “Remember this hoe [sic].”
Washington, who dated the victim during his freshman year at The King’s Academy High School in Sunnyvale, is being charged under the “Revenge Porn” law because he’s accused of sending the video to inflict emotional damage on the victim. Because the victim was 15 when the video was recorded, he’s also being charged with possession of child pornography, a felony.
In a statement, Washington’s attorney in Nebraska, John C. Ball, said his client continues to cooperate with authorities.
“Mr. Washington did appear in court in California today, continuing his active and responsible role in bringing this matter to a close,” Ball said in the statement. “He will continue to be fully cooperative, and recognizes that this process will take time and requires patience and persistence. He is grateful that all of his family, friends, and supporters are also committed to standing with him to the conclusion of this matter.”
Washington is the second person to be criminally charged in connection to the video, which was recorded in 2016. One of the teenage boys depicted in the video was arrested and placed on probation for distribution of child pornography after he recorded the video and sent copies to classmates, which soon spread across the school.
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According to the Omaha World-Herald, Washington continues to be a limited participant in practice for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
