COLUMBUS, Ohio — Opening arguments were heard Tuesday in the case of two former Ohio State football players, both facing charges of kidnapping and rape.
Amir Riep and Jahsen Wint have both pleaded not guilty.
The woman who reported to police that she was raped by Riep and Wint took the stand. The judge ordered news media to not show images of the woman used as evidence in the case and a victim's advocate also asked us not to show her face or use her name. Our camera did not record her testimony.
Testimony revealed prior to the alleged incident the woman and Riep exchanged messages on Snapchat and they eventually agreed to hang out.
She testified there were no romantic undertones to their messages. She agreed to hang out with Riep the night of Feb. 4, 2020.
She said Riep forced her to have sex and she had no opportunity to say no. She also said Riep pinned her in place while Wint forced oral sex on her.
Cell phone video was shown in court, reportedly taken moments after the alleged incident. Both sides said it's this video that serves as important evidence.
"Amir Riep took out his cellphone and had her record a video that you'll see saying it was consensual,” state prosecutor Dan Meyer told the jury. "I want you to pay attention to who says what and how they sound."
"You're going to hear the reason why Amir uses this video because that's what he's taught to do,” said Dan Sabol, representing Amir Riep. “In fact, the Monday before this happened it happened on a Tuesday there was a team meeting with Ohio State players where they said 'always make sure that you get it on the record that whatever you did was consensual.’"
Lawyers representing Riep and Wint say their clients are innocent and they both questioned the woman's documentation to a detective about the timeline and details of the event, casting doubt on her account of what happened.
In response to man questions asked in the cross-examination, the woman responded: “I don't remember.”
When Riep and Wint were arrested – they were dismissed from the football team.
If convicted, both men face up to 33 years in prison and would register as sex offenders Testimony is expected to resume Wednesday.
If you or someone you know experienced sexual violence, you can contact the Ohio Sexual Violence Hotline at 844-644-6435 or online.