An Arkansas State University athlete has been charged with felony rape in an assault on a student in her on-campus room, according to an affidavit filed last week.
Authorities said Alex Emmanuel Strong, 18, a track and field athlete from La Plata, Md., was charged Wednesday in the assault of the student after she fell asleep in her room. Strong is charged with sexual intercourse of a person who is physically unable to give consent, a felony that carries a maximum of 40 years in prison.
The woman reported the incident last Sunday to campus police in Jonesboro, according to the report.
Authorities say Strong was invited to the student's residence to watch movies and she fell asleep. She told authorities that she woke to find Strong with his fingers in her pubic area. She said she yelled at him and left the room, authorities reported.
She later texted Strong and demanded that he leave her room, the affidavit said.
Strong responded to her text, writing: "I'm sorry for what I did, I know it's unspeakable and I just can't apologize enough," the report said.
Authorities reviewed screen-shots of the messages.
The school's athletics department said in a statement that Strong has been removed from the track team while charges are pending. It declined further comment.
It wasn't immediately clear if the freshman is still enrolled at the university or if he still has an athletic scholarship.
State Desk on 03/03/2019