North Carolina's Allen Artis, accused of sexual assault, turns himself in

A student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill went public on Tuesday with allegations that she was raped by one of the school's football players and that the university failed to adequately investigate the alleged assault. USA TODAY

University of North Carolina football player Allen Artis entered court Wednesday to face the misdemeanor arrest warrant issued over sexual assault allegations.
His first court appearance is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday.


UNC sophomore Delaney Robinson accused Artis, 21, of sexually assaulting her on Feb. 14 and she said inaction by police, prosecutors and the university led to her seeking charges as an individual. .
"Delaney Robinson had the courage to report she had been raped,"  Denise Branch, Robinson's attorney, said in an email to USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday. "In response, she has been treated with indifference, disrespect and inordinate delay.  Delaney has been resolute since her attack on Valentine’s Day.  Everyone should be accountable for their actions and we are pleased the process is finally moving forward."
USA TODAY Sports does not usually name alleged victims of sexual violence, but Robinson has made the allegations public.
A magistrate issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for  two misdemeanors: sexual battery and assault . In the warrant, Robinson alleged Artis had sex with her while she was "mentally incapacitated and physically helpless."

As result of the charges, Artis, a linebacker, was suspended from the football team per UNC's athletic department policy for an athlete accused of a misdemeanor.
“I did everything a rape victim is supposed to do,” Robinson said on Tuesday. “I reported it.  I allowed the rape kit to be taken.  I gave a statement.  I cooperated with law enforcement and the Title IX office.  But six months later the University has done nothing."
Jim Woodall, the district attorney for Orange and Chatham counties, told USA TODAY Sports that the investigation remains active both in his office and at UNC. Woodall would not rule out Artis would face felony charges even with Robinson pursuing charges on her own.
Under North Carolina law, the state allows citizens to pursue charges individually in such cases and a warrant is issued after a magistrate determines there is probable cause.

“My life has changed forever,” Robinson said in a scheduled news conference on Tuesday. "I see him every day on campus. ... It's distracting, hard to get my school work done. ...There won't be a cultural change without individuals stepping up. A university isn't going to feel the pressure to make a concrete change unless there are people pressing them to do so."
Robinson faulted the UNC Department of Public Safety and the school’s Title IX office for how the investigation was handled.
“Rather than accusing him of anything, the investigators spoke to him with a tone of camaraderie,” Robinson said. “They provided reassurances to him when he became upset. They even laughed with him when he told them how many girls’ phone numbers he had managed to get on the same night he raped me.  They told him, ‘Don’t sweat it, just keep on living your life and playing football.’ ”
UNC vice chancellor for communications Joel Curran said a statement that the university is aware of the allegation, although he could not comment on specifics of the case due to federal privacy law.
"These matters are complex and often involve multiple agencies including law enforcement," Curran said. "While the University always tries to complete an investigation as quickly as possible, our priority is to ensure that the factual investigations are complete and conducted in a fair and thorough manner."