Three Michigan State football players were charged Tuesday with criminal sexual conduct in connection with an incident that occurred on campus in January.
Arrest warrants signed by an Ingham County judge name Donnie Corley, Demetric Vance and Josh King. It was not clear when they would be arraigned.
Corley and Vance face third-degree criminal sexual conduct charges. King is charged with first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct and distributing an image of an unclothed person.
Coach Mark Dantonio dismissed all three players from the football program moments after the charges were made public.
"Sexual assault has no place in our community, and I want to share my deep concern for the young woman affected and her family," Dantonio said in a statement. "This is an extremely challenging situation that we have taken very seriously and has affected everyone in this program."
Michigan State scheduled an afternoon news conference with Dantonio and athletic director Mark Hollis.
Vance, 20, is a defensive back from Detroit. Corley, 19, is a receiver from Detroit. King, also 19, is a defensive end from Darien, Illinois.
Local
Prosecutor Carol Siemon had earlier said three people were being charged in the incident, but their names were not disclosed until Tuesday in court when university police Detective Chad Davis described the allegations for District Judge Richard D. Ball in in East Lansing.
Attorney John Shea, who represents Corley, released a statement.
"It's never a good day when a criminal charge is filed against you, but at least Mr. Corley knows what he is facing and can get on with the process of fighting it," Shea said. "As appropriately noted by Prosecutor Siemon in her statement, the charge is only an accusation and Mr. Corley is presumed to be innocent. He maintains that, in fact, he is innocent, and we intend to demonstrate that in the coming proceedings."
