A onetime Bethel University football player has been charged with raping three students in a span of less than three months while he attended the school late last year.

Gideon O. Erhabor, 21, of McKinney, Texas, was charged Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court with third-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the rapes that occurred on or near the Christian-based private school’s Arden Hills campus in the fall of 2018.

Sheriff’s deputies caught up with Erhabor in his hometown, and he told them each case involved consensual sex, according to the charging documents.

Erhabor was arrested Tuesday in Texas and remains jailed there Thursday pending extradition to Minnesota.

Erhabor was a running back for Bethel in 2017 and 2018. The graduate of McKinney Christian Academy was majoring in business before he left Bethel at the end of 2018.

John Addleman, special assistant to the university president’s office, declined to say whether Erhabor was disciplined by the school before his departure.

A campuswide notice in connection with the assaults was sent Thursday by Bethel’s administration, more than seven months after two of the women went to university officials with their allegations.

“We are saddened and concerned by this news and are committed to cooperating with law enforcement,” read the statement from Michael Vedders, Bethel’s chief enrollment and marketing officer. “As a community, we strive to ensure our campus is a safe, welcoming and respectful place for our students to learn and our employees to work. … Please join us in prayer for all those involved.”

According to the charges against Erhabor:

An 18-year-old student said she was invited by Erhaborto his dorm room on Sept. 11, 2018, to watch a movie.

While in his room, she turned him down for sex, but he forcibly kissed and groped her before raping her.

In the second case, a 19-year-old student said she was at a house party on Oct. 6, 2018, in Roseville and drank two alcoholic drinks. About 2 a.m. she went outside and felt disoriented. Later that morning, she awoke in a friend’s apartment “totally confused about what happened the night before.”

On Nov. 30, Erhabor came to her room and got in bed with her, and she told him she didn’t want to have sex. Erhabor asked why and explained they had sex at the house party in October.

Erhabor made a habit of aggressively pursuing her by asking her out, kissing her and trying to persuade her to have sex. She said no each time, charges said.

In the third case, a 21-year-old student said she was at a house party on Dec. 8, 2018, in Shoreview with three of her college friends. She brought a can of hard seltzer with her. She recalled mingling at the party for about 30 minutes before blacking out and waking up late the next morning feeling groggy, queasy, and feeling pain in her genitalia.

She reported the incident the next day to her former resident assistant, stating that she did not want to have sex with Erhabor.

In April, the 21-year-old and the 19-year-old filed sexual assault reports with Bethel officials.

Statistics provided by Bethel show that allegations in recent years of sexual assault on campus are rare. Four alleged rapes were reported to have occurred in 2016-2018. Covered by the data are Bethel’s Frogtown/Summit U satellite and study abroad locations. Not included are reports of assaulted involving Bethel students but occurring off-campus.

 

Gary Neville has branded suggestions Oli McBurnie would face an FA charge over his ‘obscene gesture’ at a football match a “disgrace”.

The Sheffield United striker was spotted in the stands at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday for their clash with his former club Swansea.

McBurnie joined the legions of travelling Swansea fans in the away end for the south Wales derby, as the Championship sides played out a fairly uneventful 0-0 draw.

Indeed it was McBurnie who has managed to take all the headlines, after he was photographed making a rude gesture with his hands at the home fans.

Sky Sports reported the 23-year-old could face action from the FA, as pundit Neville shared their story and blasted the prospect of the star being punished.

“That’s a disgrace,” Neville tweeted. “This lad has done the most normal thing I’ve seen from a footballer for a long time. He goes to support his team and is pictured, filmed and ends up with this.”

Former Swansea hero Lee Trundle commented: “Exactly mate, people moan that players are too far detached from the fans then when one has a day out as a fan they do this.”

Fortunately for McBurnie, the FA opted not to hand out a punishment to the Blades’ frontman, instead reminding his of his responsibilities as a role model.

McBurnie was sporting a bucket hat as he cheered on Swansea, for whom he made 62 appearances from 2015-2019.

He joined Sheffield Utd in the summer in a deal that could potentially rise to £20million, which at the time was the highest transfer involving a Scottish player.

Alongside him in the stands were Swansea players Joe Rodon and Courtney Baker-Richardson, and UFC star Brett Johns.

It is the latest controversy involving McBurnie, after he was charged with drink-driving back in October.

The Scottish international pleaded not guilty to the charge at Leeds Magistrates Court in November, after he was accused of being one-and-a-half times over the legal limit when stopped by police in Garforth near Leeds on October 18.

Defending lawyer Jeremy Rosenberg told the court that McBurnie had only had one drink before he was pulled over in his Audi R8.

The court heard he was 18 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath over the legal limit of 35.

Gary Neville has branded suggestions Oli McBurnie would face an FA charge over his ‘obscene gesture’ at a football match a “disgrace”.

The Sheffield United striker was spotted in the stands at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday for their clash with his former club Swansea.

McBurnie joined the legions of travelling Swansea fans in the away end for the south Wales derby, as the Championship sides played out a fairly uneventful 0-0 draw.

Indeed it was McBurnie who has managed to take all the headlines, after he was photographed making a rude gesture with his hands at the home fans.

Sky Sports reported the 23-year-old could face action from the FA, as pundit Neville shared their story and blasted the prospect of the star being punished.

“That’s a disgrace,” Neville tweeted. “This lad has done the most normal thing I’ve seen from a footballer for a long time. He goes to support his team and is pictured, filmed and ends up with this.”

Former Swansea hero Lee Trundle commented: “Exactly mate, people moan that players are too far detached from the fans then when one has a day out as a fan they do this.”

Fortunately for McBurnie, the FA opted not to hand out a punishment to the Blades’ frontman, instead reminding his of his responsibilities as a role model.

McBurnie was sporting a bucket hat as he cheered on Swansea, for whom he made 62 appearances from 2015-2019.

He joined Sheffield Utd in the summer in a deal that could potentially rise to £20million, which at the time was the highest transfer involving a Scottish player.

Alongside him in the stands were Swansea players Joe Rodon and Courtney Baker-Richardson, and UFC star Brett Johns.

It is the latest controversy involving McBurnie, after he was charged with drink-driving back in October.

The Scottish international pleaded not guilty to the charge at Leeds Magistrates Court in November, after he was accused of being one-and-a-half times over the legal limit when stopped by police in Garforth near Leeds on October 18.

Defending lawyer Jeremy Rosenberg told the court that McBurnie had only had one drink before he was pulled over in his Audi R8.

The court heard he was 18 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath over the legal limit of 35.

A onetime Bethel University football player has been charged with raping three students in a span of less than three months while he attended the school late last year.

Gideon O. Erhabor, 21, of McKinney, Texas, was charged Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court with third-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the rapes that occurred on or near the Christian-based private school’s Arden Hills campus in the fall of 2018.

Sheriff’s deputies caught up with Erhabor in his hometown, and he told them each case involved consensual sex, according to the charging documents.

Erhabor was arrested Tuesday in Texas and remains jailed there Thursday pending extradition to Minnesota.

Erhabor was a running back for Bethel in 2017 and 2018. The graduate of McKinney Christian Academy was majoring in business before he left Bethel at the end of 2018.

John Addleman, special assistant to the university president’s office, declined to say whether Erhabor was disciplined by the school before his departure.

A campuswide notice in connection with the assaults was sent Thursday by Bethel’s administration, more than seven months after two of the women went to university officials with their allegations.

“We are saddened and concerned by this news and are committed to cooperating with law enforcement,” read the statement from Michael Vedders, Bethel’s chief enrollment and marketing officer. “As a community, we strive to ensure our campus is a safe, welcoming and respectful place for our students to learn and our employees to work. … Please join us in prayer for all those involved.”

According to the charges against Erhabor:

An 18-year-old student said she was invited by Erhaborto his dorm room on Sept. 11, 2018, to watch a movie.

While in his room, she turned him down for sex, but he forcibly kissed and groped her before raping her.

In the second case, a 19-year-old student said she was at a house party on Oct. 6, 2018, in Roseville and drank two alcoholic drinks. About 2 a.m. she went outside and felt disoriented. Later that morning, she awoke in a friend’s apartment “totally confused about what happened the night before.”

On Nov. 30, Erhabor came to her room and got in bed with her, and she told him she didn’t want to have sex. Erhabor asked why and explained they had sex at the house party in October.

Erhabor made a habit of aggressively pursuing her by asking her out, kissing her and trying to persuade her to have sex. She said no each time, charges said.

In the third case, a 21-year-old student said she was at a house party on Dec. 8, 2018, in Shoreview with three of her college friends. She brought a can of hard seltzer with her. She recalled mingling at the party for about 30 minutes before blacking out and waking up late the next morning feeling groggy, queasy, and feeling pain in her genitalia.

She reported the incident the next day to her former resident assistant, stating that she did not want to have sex with Erhabor.

In April, the 21-year-old and the 19-year-old filed sexual assault reports with Bethel officials.

Statistics provided by Bethel show that allegations in recent years of sexual assault on campus are rare. Four alleged rapes were reported to have occurred in 2016-2018. Covered by the data are Bethel’s Frogtown/Summit U satellite and study abroad locations. Not included are reports of assaulted involving Bethel students but occurring off-campus.