Bixby Students Charged With Rape Plead Not Guilty

<p>One day earlier than their scheduled court appearance, the four Bixby football players charged with rape pleaded not guilty.</p>

Wednesday, March 7th 2018, 11:50 am

By: News On 6

Bixby Students Charged With Rape Plead Not Guilty

One day earlier than their scheduled court appearance, the four Bixby football players charged with rape pleaded not guilty.

Their next court date is scheduled for April 17, 2018.

The four students - 17-year old Samuel Lakin, 16-year old Joe Wood, 17-year old William Thomas and 17-year old Colton Cable – were charged with one count of rape by instrumentation.

According to court documents previously filed in the case, the four students admitted to participating in the sexual assault that happened at the home of former superintendent Kyle Wood's house on September 27, 2017. A fifth student admitted to recording it on video and sharing it with other high-school-aged people.

The documents say each student also identified the other student involved in the incident.

An affidavit says this investigation is looking into the sexual assault, whether the school reported it in a timely manner to authorities and if anyone tried to prevent a police investigation.

An affidavit says the victim was upstairs at Wood's home when he was held down by other football players and sexually assaulted.

Attorneys for four Bixby football players charged with rape said no crime was committed.

The attorneys said the boys shouldn't be charged with rape because it wasn't a rape, just part of a prankish, roughhousing culture on the football team that may have been going on for decades.

The attorneys for the four charged said this incident had possibly been going on for decades on the football team and they believe law enforcement and the media skewed the facts in the case.

Last week, News On 6 learned a 14-year-old boy reported a sexual assault that happened before the September incident at the former superintendent’s home. Sources said the boy reported two suspects were involved and one of them was also involved in the September case.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation confirmed it was looking into the case.