By Joe Johnson
A judge on Wednesday granted bond to a University of Georgia football player who was arrested a week earlier on a rape charge.
In granting the $25,000 bond, Western Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Eric Norris ordered 22-year-old Adam O’Neal Anderson to have no contact with the alleged victim, move to his hometown of Rome after fall semester exams at UGA, and barred him from the judicial circuit unless he has a legal appointment at UGA or with his attorney.
According to an Athens-Clarke County police report, a 21-year-old woman filed a rape complaint against the standout Georgia linebacker, alleging that on Oct. 29 “she went to a residence after having some drinks and awoke to the suspect penetrating her while she was lying (in) a bed. She stated that it was nonconsensual and that she was able to leave.”
The woman filed the report the afternoon of the alleged rape.
The location of the alleged assault was on Artisan Place in a neighborhood in east Athens, according to the report.
Following the woman’s complaint, Anderson was suspended from the number one ranked Georgia Bulldogs. He was a star senior on a top-ranked defense that allows 6.6 points per
game. He was a potential first-round pick in next year's NFL draft. The 10-0 Bulldogs have two games left in their regular season as they seek the program's first national title since 1980.
Anderson surrendered at the county jail on Nov. 11.
Following the athlete’s arrest, defense attorney Steve Sadow, said in a statement, “Adam denies in the strongest terms possible the unfounded and unsupported allegations of sexual misconduct...and has come to learn that the complainant has already apparently made inconsistent claims – that she was ‘unconscious’ during the conduct to the EOO but ‘awoke’ from sleep by the conduct to the police.
“In the interest of justice and fairness, Adam hopes and prays the UGA community and the public keep an open mind and not prejudge him based on inconsistent, unsubstantiated and baseless accusations,” the attorney said.
After Anderson was suspended, Bulldogs Head Coach Kirby Smart issued a statement that said, “We are aware of the report and we don’t comment on law enforcement matters, but I’ve been clear about the high standards we have for our student-athletes on and off the field. I will be working closely with our administration to ensure we cooperate fully with all law enforcement and campus protocols.”
The next court proceeding in Anderson’s case will be the District Attorney’s Office either filing a formal accusation or presenting the case to a grand jury for possible indictment.