Baylor defensive lineman Sam Ukwuachu was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years of probation after being found guilty Thursday of second-degree sexual assault for raping a fellow student two years ago.
Ukwuachu, who already graduated from Baylor in May, received a slightly harsher penalty from the judge than what the jury recommended. The jury recommended eight years of probated prison, according to The Waco Tribune’s Tommy Witherspoon. The judge settled on 180 days in county jail with 10 years of probation. The 180 days was the maximum allowable as a condition of probation. Ukwuachu also was sentenced to 400 hours of community service.
The victim spoke in court about how being raped changed her life.
The victim is reading a victim-impact statement now. She said all males scare her now.
— Tommy Witherspoon (@TSpoonFeed) August 21, 2015
She said her new identity now is the girl who got raped.
— Tommy Witherspoon (@TSpoonFeed) August 21, 2015
There is a big controversy over how Baylor handled Ukwuachu. Ukwuachu was a freshman all-american for Boise State in 2012 but was kicked off the team in May 2013 for repeatedly violating team rules. The final straw was when he punched through a window in a drunken episode. He transferred to Baylor and sat out the 2013 season. He also missed last season for an undisclosed issue, which later was revealed as the rape.
Baylor head coach Art Briles denies being warned by Boise State about Ukwuachu’s behavior, while former Broncos head coach Chris Petersen says he told Briles about the player’s violent history.
The victim was raped in Oct. of her freshman year. She was a virgin at the time.
