Just a day after Jim Grobe insisted there are no problems at Baylor, the news cycle goes out and proves him wrong.
Former Bears defensive end Shawn Oakman has been indicted by a McLennan County, Texas, grand jury on one count of sexual assaulting a Baylor student at his apartment on April 3. (Yes, for those keeping score at home, that came after his time with the Baylor football program was officially complete.)
If convicted, Oakman would face up to 20 years in prison. ESPN reported Oakman is currently free on $25,000 bond.
“Shawn Oakman maintains his innocence in regard to the recent accusations made against him, and he insists that the sexual relationship in this case was consensual,” Oakman’s attorney Michelle Tuegel told the Waco Tribune-Herald. “It is unfortunate that this situation has been lumped in with other events that are unrelated. It is important that we not rush to judgment. Every citizen accused of a crime in this country is presumed innocent unless the state proves the accused offense beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. We look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Oakman and presenting the facts involved in this situation.”
Law enforcement examined Oakman’s DNA and cell phone, while also searching his duplex to obtain items ranging from ear rings to bed sheets to blood.
Waco police has charged Oakman of inviting the woman to his home on the night of April 2, where he forced her into his bedroom, “forcibly removed” her clothes and sexually assaulted here.
Oakman was also accused of assaulting his former girlfriend in 2013, but charges were not filed in that case. He originally signed with Penn State out of high school but was dismissed for shoplifting and violating team rules.
A one-time candidate for a No. 1 overall pick, Oakman was not chosen in this spring’s NFL Draft after a season in which he posted 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
Oakman is the third Baylor player charged with sexual assault in recent years, following Tevin Elliott and Sam Ukwachuku. Both were convicted of rape.