Kingston, a standout wide receiver, is no longer enrolled at Brigham Young University after he was arrested this week on a first-degree felony rape charge, the school said Friday.
BYU spokesperson Jon McBride said the administration and coaches were only made aware of the investigation and allegations after Kingston’s arrest. McBride declined to answer whether the team’s program asked Kingston to leave or whether he left voluntarily.
In court, Kingston, 21, made his initial appearance in St. George, where Washington County Attorney Jerry Jaeger said prosecutors believe a woman who was 20 at the time told officers that Kingston assaulted her at her home last February. Jaeger said the arrest came after a yearlong investigation that included digital and forensic evidence and witness interviews.
During the hearing, Judge John Walton said he found clear and convincing evidence that Kingston was a danger to the community. Walton nevertheless allowed Kingston to be released Friday on $100,000 bond, with $10,000 cash paid to the court immediately after Kingston was initially held without bail.
Defense attorney Cara Tangaro agreed to a set of conditions, according to the report. Tangaro said Kingston would have no contact with his accuser or any potential witnesses, must stay off social media, and would wear a GPS ankle monitor to ensure he does not return to Washington County in southwestern Utah except for court appearances.
Kingston appeared before the judge by remote video link from jail on Friday. Under the charge, the case could result in a sentence ranging from five years to life in prison if convicted, prosecutors said in court coverage.
According to an affidavit unsealed Thursday, Kingston told St. George Police that all sexual activity with the woman accusing him of rape was consensual. The affidavit said the woman told Kingston before he came to her house that she did not want to have sex, and that she told him to stop several times when he initiated sex, the report said.
BYU is known for a strict honor code for students that prohibits sexual relations outside of a marriage between a man and a woman, and violations can lead to suspension. The report also noted that other athletes have left BYU after lengthy suspensions for honor-code violations.
Tangaro told The Associated Press on Friday night that she had not yet talked to BYU and could not comment about the case, citing a court order. Kingston is expected to make his next court appearance Feb. 25.