LOS ANGELES — UCLA senior wide receiver Delon Hurt has been suspended from the team pending the outcome of a sexual assault case in which he faces two felony charges from an alleged November 2019 incident in Downey, Calif.
After the Los Angeles district attorney’s office filed charges of oral copulation and sexual battery in May, Hurt surrendered to authorities, entered a not guilty plea and posted $125,000 bail in May. A preliminary hearing is set for Thursday at the Norwalk Courthouse.
“We take such allegations very seriously,” UCLA spokesman Scott Markley said Tuesday in a statement. “As such, Delon has been suspended from the team pending the outcome of legal proceedings.”
According to court records, Hurt faces one charge of oral copulation against the victim’s will by means of force, violence, duress, menace or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim and another person.
The sexual battery charge alleges that Hurt forced the victim “against her will while unlawfully restrained by the defendant(s) and an accomplice to masturbate and touch an intimate part of Delon Hurt.”
One law enforcement official told the Los Angeles Times authorities have some form of corroborating evidence to support the accuser’s accusations beyond her statement. If convicted of the charges, Hurt could face up to 12 years in prison.
Joshua Ritter, Hurt’s attorney, said his client had been wrongfully accused.
“These allegations are 100 percent false,” Ritter said. “We will prove that in court. These accusations are the product of a scorned individual who is motivated by petty jealousy and vindictiveness. Keep in mind, these allegations are more than a year old and completely uncorroborated. Make no mistake, the truth will come out.”
A former star at Anaheim Servite High, Hurt’s role had steadily increased in each of his first three seasons at UCLA. He was a part-time starter in 2020, making four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown during a victory over Arizona State. Hurt also caught three passes for 43 yards against USC and was on track for a larger role this season.
Hurt is the second prominent member of UCLA’s team facing criminal charges. Starting offensive guard Paul Grattan Jr. faces three charges resulting from a bar scuffle but has been allowed to remain with the team because the charges are no more serious than a misdemeanor.
