Wisconsin WR Quintez Cephus charged with felony sexual assault

Wisconsin junior wide receiver Quintez Cephus was charged on Monday with two counts of felony sexual assault and subsequently suspended by the team.

The charges—felony third-degree sexual assault and felony second-degree sexual assault of an intoxicated victim—stem from an April 22 incident, per the Wisconsin Circuit Court records.

The Wisconsin State Journal’s Ed Treleven reported additional details from the criminal complaint, which for the first time in this case includes mention of another Badger, fellow wide receiver Danny Davis:

Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Quintez Cephus was charged Monday with second- and third-degree sexual assault of two intoxicated women who said he sexually assaulted both of them and said Cephus and his roommate, teammate Danny Davis, laughed and took photos of the women, according to a criminal complaint.

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According to the complaint, Cephus told investigators that he and one of the women had sex, but “It was all good. She was all into it,” the complaint states. He said he also had sex with the other woman. He at first denied taking any photos, but then said one was taken but was quickly deleted.

District Attorney Ismael Ozanne told Trevelen he was unable to answer whether Davis might also face charges.

A report from ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg also adds supporting details:

Two women told Madison police that Cephus sexually assaulted them at his apartment on April 22. Police met with one of the women at a local hospital April 22 after she went to the emergency room, and gathered forensic evidence and a statement from her. Detectives learned of the second woman early in their investigation, who told them she also had been sexually assaulted.

Cephus, 20, met with police and was cooperative in providing a statement. Madison police referred the case to the Dane County District Attorney’s office, which issued the charges.

Cephus is set to appear in court Thursday morning. He released a statement via Twitter Saturday night announcing that he was “wrongfully accused of unlawful conduct” and would take a leave of absence from the team.

Cephus, as well as Davis, was expected to be among Wisconsin’s top receivers this season. Cephus, a Macon, Ga., native has caught 34 passes for 595 yards and six touchdowns over 23 career games (13 starts) at Wisconsin. Last season, he appeared in nine games (eight starts) and caught 30 passes for 501 yards and a team-high six touchdowns before sustaining a season-ending leg injury at Indiana in early November.

Wisconsin’s statement announcing Cephus’s suspension for violating the UW Department of Athletics’ Student-Athlete Discipline Policy was attributed to athletic director Barry Alvarez. Cephus is suspended from practices and games pending the availability of further information relating to the case. He will “remain on official squad lists and may continue to receive support service in the sports medicine facility, the academic support center and the weight training room,” per UW.