Two Southern California high school football players are expected in court Tuesday morning after being arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting or raping six girls, most of them fellow students and at least one under the age of 14, authorities said.
The two boys, both 17-year-old football players at Vista Murrieta High School, were arrested Sept. 12 after a more than two-week investigation, police said. The sexual assaults did not take place on campus, police said.
One of the boys faces charges of two felony counts of forcible rape, along with charges of lewd acts with a minor under the age of 14, false imprisonment and dissuading a victim from reporting a crime.
According to the district attorney's office, the public will be allowed to witness his hearing in juvenile court Tuesday due to the severity of the charges. However, the other boy was not accused of sex crimes that rise to the level of the first boy and therefore details of his case will not be made public, the district attorney's office said.
"All names have been released in this case because they have been charged with serious or violent felonies," said John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney's office.
Police said they launched an investigation on Aug. 29 after a parent came forward to report an assault to school administrators.
The boys allegedly began committing the crimes in January, with most of the assaults taking place over the summer, police said.
Police said the two boys know each other.
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