Kyle Bonagura
Multiple Authors
BYU receiver Parker Kingston has been charged with first-degree felony rape, the Washington County (Utah) Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
The charge comes after a nearly yearlong investigation that began after a 20-year-old woman reported a sexual assault to officers at St. George Regional Hospital, the attorney’s office said in a news release. The woman told officers that Kingston sexually assaulted her on Feb. 23, 2025, according to the release.
“Detectives with the St. George Police Department then gathered digital and forensic evidence,” the attorney’s office said. “They also conducted interviews with the parties involved and other witnesses. The information was then turned over to the Washington County Attorney’s Office for review.”
Kingston is being held without bail in Washington County and is scheduled to appear in Utah’s Fifth Judicial District Court on Friday.
“BYU became aware today of the arrest of Parker Kingston,” the athletic department said in a statement. “The university takes any allegation very seriously, and will cooperate with law enforcement. Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment.”
Kingston was BYU’s leading receiver in 2025, catching 66 passes for 924 yards and five touchdowns.
This is the second high-profile allegation of rape against a BYU football player in the past year. In May, former quarterback Jake Retzlaff was accused of rape in a civil lawsuit before the parties jointly agreed in June to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning it could not be refiled. No criminal charges were filed against Retzlaff. However, he would have faced a lengthy suspension for violating BYU’s honor code, which prohibits premarital sex, and transferred to Tulane.
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