2 Winthrop Basketball Players Charged With Criminal Sexual Conduct

Students reacted in shock Wednesday to word that two Winthrop University basketball players were accused of rape.

Robert Dreher, 20, and Julius Francis, 21, each face two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Dreher is a starter on the Winthrop men's basketball team, and Francis was red-shirted this year.

"I’m very surprised, I didn't expect that out of them at all," said Jasmine Washington. "And them being athletes, that's just crazy."

Morgan Alber also found it hard to believe. "They were really great guys, so I don't know whether or not to believe that right away, that it's true," she said.

Both Alber and Washington live at Courtyard at Winthrop, the same on-campus apartments where police said the incident happened in the early morning of April 17.

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According to Winthrop University police report, the victim was a 19-year-old former student, visiting the campus that night.

She told police that she had been arguing with Dreher about his sexual advances all night on April 16. He had kicked her out of his apartment at least twice, police said.

She was eventually allowed back inside, and Dreher and Francis led her to a bedroom. She was under the influence of alcohol at the time, according to arrest warrants.

The warrants said both men restrained her, held her against her will and performed sexual acts on her while she was saying, "No."

The police report said when officers first approached the victim about the incident moments after it happened, she told them to leave her alone, and refused to talk about it, saying she'd just leave campus instead.

The following day, police said the victim called from a hospital in her hometown of Greenville, S.C., saying she'd cooperate with police.

During a bond hearing Wednesday, Dreher and Francis entered the courtroom handcuffed together.

Neither suspect said much to the judge in court. They were each given a $40,000 bond and ordered to have no contact with the victim.

Dreher posted bond before the end of the day. Francis told the judge he was a Nigerian citizen and the American family who sponsored him was unaware of his arrest. The court seized his passport so he couldn't leave the country.

After their arrests Wednesday morning, both men were immediately suspended from the Winthrop basketball team. Winthrop coach Randy Peele was not available for comment Wednesday.

University officials did not say the two students were expelled from campus, but did say further disciplinary action is in the works.

Both men are set to make an initial court appearance on June 27, with a trial date of July 19.

If found guilty, each felony count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct carries up to 10 years in prison.