University of Tennessee WR Von Pearson won't be charged with rape
University of Tennessee senior wide receiver Von Pearson won't face rape charges after he was named a suspect in a three-month investigation, Knox County district attorney general Charme Allen announced.
Pearson, 23, was suspended from both the university and its football team on the day of the supposed incident after a 19-year-old fellow-UT student accused him of raping her in an off-campus apartment.
“After a thorough review of the investigation, I have determined that there is insufficient evidence to sustain a criminal prosecution,” Allen said. “Mr. Pearson will not be criminally charged as a result of the accusation made against him on April 24, 2015.”
The Knoxville Police Department took statements regarding the incident from five men and a woman, including two UT football players, who served as witnesses. The UT Police Department listed the case as “alcohol-related.”
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Pearson, who joined UT after two years at Feather River College in Quincy, Calif., had 38 receptions for 393 yards, and led the Volunteers with five touchdowns last season.
Two of Pearson's teammates, Michael Williams and A.J. Johnson, will be tried in the coming weeks for aggravated rape charges from last November.
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