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Wednesday, August 21
Updated: August 22, 11:30 AM ET
 
Williams, two Georgia hoops players face charges

Associated Press

ATHENS, Ga. -- A former University of Georgia student testified she was raped by football player Brandon Williams in another athlete's dorm room earlier this year.

During Williams' trial Wednesday, the 19-year-old woman testified that she had consensual sex with Georgia basketball guard Tony Cole in his room the night of Jan. 14. She said that after Cole went into the bathroom, Williams came out of the closet, half-naked and fondling himself.

"I said, 'Who are you?' He came over, sat down on the bed and started to touch me,'' she said.

The man, whom she had never seen before, forced himself on her despite her pleas, she testified.

Williams is a defensive back who played in all 11 games for the Bulldogs last season. He is the first athlete to be tried in the case. Cole and basketball forward Steve Thomas also face charges.

The players, all 21, are suspended pending the outcome of the case.

The woman said that after Williams attacked her, Thomas came to the dorm room and, at Cole's urging, forced himself on her.

"Don't do this; you don't want to do this,'' she said she told Thomas. She said Cole was watching and encouraging his teammate.

During cross-examination, Williams' attorney, Kim Stephens, repeatedly asked the woman why she never cried out or asked Cole to help her.

"Did you ever call out to Tony Cole and say, 'Help me.' 'Get this guy off me.' 'Who is this guy?''' Stephens asked.

"No I did not,'' she replied. "When he did that, I felt like I lost all power and couldn't do anything else.''

The woman testified that she returned to her dorm, where she and a girlfriend helped a fellow student with his Spanish homework, and watched television.

She called relatives to tell them what happened, and her mother called police. University detectives came to see her about 1 a.m. Jan. 15, three or four hours after the incident.

"Why didn't you call the police?'' District Attorney Ken Mauldin asked her.

"I didn't think to call them. I just didn't know what to do,'' she said.

Mauldin said DNA tests showed that Williams had sex with the woman.

Quoting Williams' statement to investigators, Mauldin said, "Nothing happened. She said no and I left.''

"Those are words that I expect to show that, not only did the young woman not consent, he knew what 'No' meant. He knew what a man is supposed to do when a woman says `No,''' Mauldin said.




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