Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Last night on his weekly “Trojans Live” show, USC Head Coach Clay Helton announced that sophomore linebacker Osa Masina would miss the first game of the season against Alabama due to a “violation of team rules.”
Today, news broke from KTSU in Utah that Masina was under investigation for sex crimes that took place in Salt Lake County this summer.
As told to KTSU by the Cottonwood Heights Police Department, Masina could face charges for rape, forcible sodomy, fondling, and “exploitation by telecom.”
It was also reported that the LAPD interviewed Masina on a case last week though the nature of the interview is unknown.
USC released a statement today to KTSU regarding the situation:
“USC is aware of the investigation involving student-athlete Osa Masina. USC is cooperating fully with authorities in Utah, the lead agency in the investigation. Due to privacy laws and to protect the rights of our students, we are not able to discuss this matter further.”
We will keep you updated as this story develops.