No Charges for USC Players

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has decided not to file criminal charges after reviewing a sexual assault investigation that involved USC football players, according to documents released Monday.

“A review of the facts based upon the statements of the complaining witness as well as the physical and forensic evidence collected does not lead to the conclusion that any criminal activity occurred,” deputy D.A. Suzanne M. Freeman wrote in a charge evaluation worksheet.

No players were named in the report.

The decision not to prosecute, which was expected, officially closes a case that began in August during USC’s training camp. The Los Angeles Police Department began an investigation after a woman contacted the LAPD to report that she had been sexually assaulted early on Aug. 16. The incident allegedly occurred during a gathering at a housing complex near campus, where the football team stayed during summer training camp.

No arrests were made.

In September, a law enforcement source told The Times: “This case is effectively dead. Barring a major change of evidence, there isn’t going to be a prosecution.”

USC Coach Pete Carroll, contacted Monday night in New York, said: “It’s good to hear that that’s officially concluded. There never was any question about that kind of stuff. We just had to ride through the media wave of it all. But I’m glad it’s in the books.”

According to the district attorney’s report, the woman had been drinking alcohol before she arrived at the complex. She “drank more alcohol and also smoked marijuana along with other male individuals who were present in the dorm,” the report said. “... Due to her level of intoxication, the memory of the complainant is vague and subject to periods of blackouts.”

The woman initially told police that she had resisted and had nonconsensual sexual contact with a player. But she told investigators “that there was no force used and that she had not objected to the sexual intercourse,” the report said.

When the player tried to have sex with her a second time, the report said, the woman recalled noticing three other players in the room -- one who touched her on the arm, another on the leg. But the woman believed that all three remained fully clothed and never touched her inappropriately or had sexual contact with her, the report said.

Law enforcement sources had said that junior running back Hershel Dennis was considered the focus of the investigation. Dennis was removed from practice Aug. 17 and was suspended indefinitely by Carroll for violating unspecified team rules. He was reinstated Sept. 13.

USC spokesman Tim Tessalone referred questions about potential administrative action by the university to the student affairs office. Michael Jackson, the vice president of student affairs, could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.