Ex-football player charged with rape

Praise Martin-Oguike, a freshman and former linebacker with the football team, has been released on bail amid allegations of rape and sexual assault, among other charges.

Police say Martin-Oguike raped and sexually assaulted a 21-year-old female Temple student in his 1940 Residence Hall dormitory on Saturday, May 26. Martin-Oguike has been suspended from the university and the football team while facing charges of aggravated assault, forcible rape, sexual assault, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment.

“Our chief concern is for the safety of our students,” Ray Betzner, assistant vice president of university communications, said. “We worked with the victim of this case to help her as much as we could.”

Temple students, who are informed via TU Alert of shootings or other dangerous activity occurring on campus, are not notified by the university of sexual assault or rape that occurs on campus until a report is filed annually as mandated by the Clery Act. Betzner said the university would not be releasing a statement on the matter.

“Had there been a reason for us to believe that students are not safe once we learned of this incident, we would have taken the appropriate actions,” Betzner said.

Martin-Oguike played in games against Buffalo and Ball State last season, registering three total tackles. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 14.