A University of Utah football player was charged Friday after police say he locked a 17-year-old girl in his apartment and raped her.
Terrell Perriman, a 20-year-old wide receiver for the U., faces a first-degree felony count of rape and a third-degree felony count of aggravated kidnapping. He was arrested Thursday morning and booked into the Salt Lake County jail, where he is being held on $750,000 bail.
A statement describing the probable cause for his arrest alleges that he met the girl on Instagram and then the two connected on Snapchat. The teenager told police, according to court documents, that Perriman pressured her to send him nude photos and that he sent her several sexually graphic videos and a picture.
On Jan. 23, the girl said Perriman sent her an Uber ride so she could come to his apartment. Once she was there, charges allege, he trapped her in his room and wouldn’t let her leave. The teen told police she was afraid after she saw that Perriman had a stun gun.
She asked him if she could go, according to court documents, and he said only after she had sexual contact with him. She told him she didn’t want to and that she was only 17 and in high school. Perriman allegedly blocked the door, took her cellphone and covered her mouth while she screamed. She tried to bite him.
The girl said he then pulled his pants down and forced her out of hers and raped her, according to court documents. Perriman then ordered another Uber and sent the teen home, according to the probable cause statement.
Salt Lake City police Detective Greg Wilking said Thursday that police have “some indication" there could be other victims and urged individuals to come forward. “Often in these kinds of cases, there’s not just one victim,” he added. "This is behavior that’s repeated.”
The detective said there was “no indication,” though, that Perriman was “targeting underage girls.” He added: “She just happened to be 17.”
U. football coach Kyle Whittingham released a statement on the arrest Thursday, saying he is aware of the “very serious allegations.” Whittingham said that Perriman was immediately suspended from the team.
“Obviously, this does not reflect the values and standards of our program and we will continue to monitor the situation as it moves through the legal process," he said. "We are cooperating with the authorities and university personnel and will continue to assist as requested. Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, we are unable to comment further at this time.”
A three-star recruit out of Miami Central High School, Perriman took a redshirt in 2018, then played in 10 games in 2019, including six on offense. He had two catches for nine yards for the 11-3 Utes. Perriman was expected to compete for a starting or backup role in 2020 as a redshirt sophomore.
The University of Utah requires all students to take online training modules on sexual assault when they enroll. Student-athletes must additionally participate in the training every year. The school’s Athletic Director Mark Harlan issued a statement later Thursday, adding that the U. “will continue to educate our student-athletes on appropriate conduct, decision-making and consent."
