Nate Parker denies college report of indecent exposure
Actor/filmmaker Nate Parker is denying a past indecent exposure allegation, insisting the incident never happened.
The 36-year-old and his Birth of a Nation collaborator and former roommate Jean Celestin were accused of sexual assault by an 18-year-old female classmate while studying at Penn State University in Pennsylvania.
Parker was acquitted in a 2001 trial, while Celestin was initially
found guilty and sentenced to serve six months behind bars. His
conviction was later overturned following an appeal.
The news of the rape trial resurfaced earlier this year (16), when
Parker told Variety.com he had moved on from the troubled chapter
in his life. However, the controversy has found its way into the
headlines over and over again because of the acclaim Parker's new
film, Birth of a Nation, has been receiving.
In August (16), the actor expressed his sorrow over the way he had
handled the controversy, particularly after discovering his accuser
had committed suicide in 2012, but he subsequently insisted he
would not apologize for being acquitted.
While Parker continues to insist he was falsely accused, the
controversy has taken a new turn and he is now facing accusations
of indecent exposure from his time at Penn State.
A current investigation into how university officials handled
former football coach Jerry Sandusky's pedophilia scandal has
prompted prosecutors to look into whether three former university
officials failed to notice or report child sexual abuse allegations
against Sandusky, who was convicted of molesting young boys in
2011.
Documents pertaining to the investigation have since been
unearthed, reportedly showing Parker was accused of exposing
himself to a female student trainer, who subsequently declined to
press charges.
However, the actor's attorney insists his client is unaware of the
past allegations.
"This is the first Mr. Parker has ever heard of this," reads an
email from Parker's lawyer, David J. Matlof, to the New York Times.
"He recognizes the seriousness of the issue, but this claim is
completely untrue."
Prosecutors are not investigating Parker, but are instead trying to
determine if the handling of his case is part of a bigger problem
at the university's athletic department when it comes to handling
sexual misconduct claims.