A scary situation played out Tuesday involving a former member of the Nebraska football program.
Friday, June 19, a missing person report was filed to the Lincoln Police Department regarding Maurice Washington. According to police, an out-of-state family member reported the 20-year-old former Nebraska football player missing that day.
Tuesday evening, the LPD confirmed that Washington had been found “safe and sound.” No further details were released.
The drama over the past few days was just the latest involving the talented but troubled running back.
Appearing in a Santa Clara County (Calif.) courtroom in April of last year, Washington was arraigned on a pair of charges, one a felony and the other a misdemeanor, in connection to a situation whose genesis was nearly two years ago. In mid-February of 2019, a Santa Clara County judge signed a warrant filed a couple of days earlier that sought the arrest of the then-Nebraska running back for alleged violation of that state’s revenge-porn law. It’s alleged that Washington sent a sexually-explicit 10-second video, recorded two years prior by someone other than Washington, involving a then-15-year-old female and two other boys, neither of whom was Washington, to that same female in early March of 2018. The female has claimed she is being sexually assaulted in the video, which allegedly shows the teenager performing oral sex on one boy while another masturbates.
Washington was facing a felony count of possessing a video or photograph of a person under 18 who is engaging in or simulating sexual conduct and a misdemeanor count of posting a video or photograph of a person engaging in or simulating sexual conduct without consent, leading to the person suffering emotional distress. Washington had dated the alleged victim prior to the video being recorded.
In late July, Washington’s preliminary court appearance was pushed back to the morning of Sept. 3, after Nebraska’s opener. That appearance had originally been scheduled for mid-June before it too was pushed back. The September appearance was canceled and rescheduled, as was the one in mid-October. Yet another rescheduled appearance, scheduled for Dec. 12, was pushed back to Jan. 12.
After some academic uncertainty throughout the offseason, Washington was cleared to join the Cornhuskers football team in early August of 2018. As a true freshman, and despite the off-field cloud hanging over him from the start of the season, Washington rushed for 455 yards and three touchdowns, numbers that were both good for third on the team. His 24 receptions were also third-best, while his 221 receiving yards were fourth.
In the midst of his California legal issues, Washington was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia in June of last year.
In the first seven games this past season, which included a pair of half-game suspensions unrelated to the California court case, Washington ran for 298 yards and a touchdown on 50 carries. He also had 12 catches for another 162 yards and two more touchdowns.
Those would be the only stats he would record on the season as, on Oct. 21, Scott Frost announced Washington was not a part of the Cornhuskers’ plans “in the immediate future.” A couple of days later, though, the head coach left the door open for Washington’s return. In early January of this year, however, Washington was dismissed from the Nebraska football team.
In early March, Washington please no contest to violating California revenge-porn law. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and, after backdating the start of that sentence, was released March 20.