Damascus JV player charged as a juvenile pleads guilty in locker room sex assault case, sources say

DAMASCUS, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - One of five junior varsity football players charged in an alleged locker room sexual assault at Damascus High School pleaded guilty in juvenile court Tuesday to third-degree sexual offense, according to two sources with knowledge of the case.

The other four suspects, all 15 years old, are being charged as adults. Jean Claude Abedi, Kristian Jamal Lee, Will Daniel Smith, and Caleb Thorpe were indicted last week on eight counts each: one count of first degree rape, three counts of attempted first degree rape, and four counts of conspiracy to commit rape, according to the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office.

Details of the fifth student's involvement in the incident are not public -- including the student's name -- because he's charged as a juvenile, but public charging documents for the other teens lay out the allegations in vivid detail.

Investigators allege the attacks took place at about 2:30 p.m. on Halloween, inside a Damascus High School locker room just before football practice. One alleged victim told police the lights were turned off, he was held down, and sexually assaulted with a wooden broomstick.

Abedi, Lee, Smith, and Thorpe are all named in the court documents. Only one suspect remains anonymous because, investigators wrote, he was not being charged as an adult.

That juvenile would go on to tell police he saw several teammates "get the broom." He admitted he took part in one of the attacks, saying he was trying to push the broomstick into a victim's buttocks "a little bit," according to investigators.

The teen also told police one of the attackers eventually told him "it was his turn." He said he was able to fight his teammates off until someone yelled "coach is coming" and everyone ran away.

The Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Montgomery County Public Schools declined comment.