Former USC football player arrested, charged with raping 2 women

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former University of Southern California football player Joshua Jackson Jr. has been arrested and charged with raping two women.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced the charges Wednesday against Jackson, who played for the Trojans in 2021 as a defensive back.

The 21-year-old Jackson was charged with one felony count of forcible sexual penetration and three felony counts of forcible rape. He is accused of raping a UCLA student in the summer of 2020, and of raping a USC student three months ago.

“These brave women made the difficult decision to come forward and report their assault,” Gascón said in a statement. “Now it’s our turn to ensure that justice is done. We will do everything we can to hold the person responsible accountable for his actions.”

Jackson entered the transfer portal in April after not playing for USC last season. He was recruited by former coach Clay Helton’s staff, and he started two games during the 2021 season under interim head coach Donte Williams.

Jackson is expected to be arraigned this week.

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