Former New Mexico State player agrees to plea deal in sexual assault case

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A former New Mexico State basketball player has agreed to a plea deal in a sexual assault case against teammates that led to the shutdown of the team's 2022-23 season.

Kim Aiken Jr. agreed Tuesday to plead guilty to two felony counts of false imprisonment and one count of conspiracy to commit false imprisonment.

Aiken agreed to testify against another former teammate, Deshawndre Washington, whose trial in the assault case is set for February. If the deal holds up, Aiken would be sentenced to 4 1/2 years probation. He was originally charged with 11 crimes that carried up to 24 years in prison.

Aiken’s plea comes about two months after a teammate, Doctor Bradley, also agreed to testify against Washington in exchange for pleading guilty to disorderly conduct. If Bradley cooperates, he’ll receive probation after initially facing up to 27 years in prison.

The charges against Washington also carried a sentence of up to 27 years in prison.

Separate civil lawsuits in this case described a “humbling” ritual in which the defendants would pull down the victims’ pants and sometimes grab their genitals. The descriptions were in line with findings in the school’s Title IX investigation into the same players.

The indictments against the players detailed episodes in 2022 in which the defendants were accused “of holding younger players and student staff against their will while they violated them. Alleged acts included multiple incidents in which they forcefully restrained victims while violently grabbing their genital area.”

Last year, the school paid out $8 million to settle a lawsuit brought by two of the victims, former players Deuce Benjamin and Shak Odunewu, who went public with the stories of their abuse.

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