STEUBENVILLE - Two 16-year-old males who are students at Steubenville High School were arrested late Tuesday and are expected to be charged with rape today in juvenile court in connection with an alleged sexual assault that occurred about a week ago.
WTAE in Pittsburgh said the two are football players for Big Red, who host Woodrow Wilson Senior from Washington, D.C., tonight at Harding Stadium.
Ursuline travels to Steubenville on Oct. 5.
One juvenile was arrested at his house by City Police. The other juvenile was arrested at his residence in the county by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.
City Police Chief William McCafferty said the investigation is ongoing by the department's juvenile division.
The juveniles were lodged in the county's juvenile detention center following their arrest.
Police began an investigation after parents came to the police station on Aug. 14 to report a sexual assault involving their daughter.
Jefferson County Prosecutor Jane Hanlin said the investigation continues as to others who may have participated in the sexual assault or may have videotaped or photographed the incident.
The prosecutor's office has assisted City Police throughout the investigation. Hanlin said other charges in addition to rape may be filed against the two juveniles in custody.
Hanlin had said she will step aside in prosecuting the case because she personally knows some of the juveniles named in the investigation. She said an official determination is pending as to whether she will ask the Ohio Attorney General's office to take over the prosecution.
Michael McVey, Steubenville City Schools superintendent, gave a statement to WTOV-9 in Steubenville.
"We learned (Wednesday) morning that two Steubenville High School athletes were arrested," he told WTOV-9. " The district intends to fully cooperate with any criminal investigation that may ensue from this situation. ... Any student who is arrested is immediately suspended from all extracurricular activities including sports."
Earlier, City Police and the sheriff's department executed a search warrant and confiscated several cell phones. The names of the people who had the cell phones were included in the search warrant. The search warrant has been sealed under orders of Common Pleas Judge Joseph Bruzzese Jr. because the affidavit to get the search warrant included names of juveniles.
According to WTOV-9 in Steubenville, Hanlin said any claims of a cover-up are untrue and everyone involved in the investigation has worked around the clock in securing warrants. The arrests were made a week after the alleged victim's parents filed the police report.
"It's impossible for it to go faster. I know in a perfect world evidence would come together within 20 minutes of the crime and you would be able to go forward. In the real world, it doesn't happen like that. You have to meet with people, you collect evidence, analyze evidence. There are a lot of rumors out there about what already exists, what is already in people's possession, and a good deal of that is rumors," Hanlin told WTOV-9.
Mark Law of the Steubenville Herald-Star, WTOV in Steubenville and WTAE in Pittsburgh wrote this story
