Suspended USC football player appears in court

Osa Masina, the sophomore linebacker suspended from USC in the midst of an investigation into sexual assault charges, made his first court appearance in Utah Friday and was ordered not to contact the alleged victim, according to the Associated Press. Neither he nor his lawyer objected to the order.

Masina appeared with his lawyer, mother and grandmother at the hearing, which lasted a few minutes, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Masina is charged in Utah with one count of rape and two counts of forcible sodomy for reportedly assaulting a woman who was unconscious after a party in July.

Masina did not make a comment to reporters regarding the case. He replied with a short, “Yes, sir” to the judge’s inquiries.

According to court documents, he acknowledged having sex with the woman, but Greg Skordas, Masina’s attorney, said that it was consensual.

“The difference in accounts of what happened are maybe not as distinct as you might think, but I think the way both individuals perceived this is quite different,” Skordas told reporters after the hearing, according to the AP.

He is also under investigation in Los Angeles for allegations of giving the same woman marijuana, alcohol and Xanax and assaulting her at USC teammate Don Hill’s apartment. Skordas believes that charges will not be brought, however, due to the cell phone video evidence Masina sent to the alleged victim’s ex-boyfriend via Snapchat.

Masina is free after posting a $250,000 bail, but he and Hill — who has not been charged — remain suspended from the University while the case goes through the court system in Utah and the investigation continues in Los Angeles.