A 13-year-old girl who accused two United States high school football players of raping her is being taunted on social media, in a case very similar to one in Ohio that led to the rape conviction of two high school athletes on Tuesday.
Two 18-year-old school players in the state of Connecticut, Edgar Gonzalez and Joan Toribio, were charged with felony second-degree sexual assault and other crimes last month in cases involving different 13-year-old girls. Toribio was also charged two weeks ago in another second-degree sexual assault case.
At least one of the alleged victims has been taunted on social media by dozens of upset classmates, a newspaper has reported. Students have called the girl a "whore" and bashed her for "snitching" and "ruining" the players' lives.
A state judge sealed details of the allegations from public view. Both teens have pleaded not guilty to all charges. State prosecutor Terri Sonnemann declined to comment on the sexual assault cases and on whether authorities were investigating the online taunts.
Gonzalez's lawyer, J Patten Brown III, said he hadn't seen the state's evidence but was told charges allege consensual, but statutorily illegal, sex. He said Gonzalez was making no admissions about having relations with the girl and would fight the charges.
