AUSTIN, Texas, USA
The son of former cyclist Lance Armstrong was charged with sexual assault in 2018, when he was 18, according to an arrest warrant issued in Austin, Texas.
The alleged victim told police in November 2020 that she had been assaulted by Luke Armstrong after taking her from a party at her father’s house. Because she was 16 at the time, Luke Armstrong was charged with sexual assault on a minor, a felony.
Defendant’s attorney, Randy Leavitt, said Armstrong, now 21, and the 19-year-old were in a consensual relationship and there were no abuses. Armstrong was arrested on Tuesday and released on personal bail, according to court records.
“A full review of the facts will confirm that the prosecution did not take place in any way and a thorough and detailed legal process will exonerate Luke,” Leavitt said. “What happened three years ago in high school was not a crime and it was not a sexual assault. It was a consensual relationship at the time and continued in a consensual way between two young people who eventually went their separate ways.
“These accusations should never have been filed, certainly not three years later. But fortunately, the Texas legal system is working and will establish Luke’s innocence. “
Luke was a reserve defender for the Rice University football team in 2018-2019. He chose not to play the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic and did not return for spring training, a team spokesman said on Thursday.
According to the arrest statement issued on April 1, the woman told police that she met Luke Armstrong on June 20, 2018 and that two days later she attended a party in which she was intoxicated.
From there, she would call him to pick her up. She doesn’t remember the car ride, but she woke up at his house, where she told the police that he sexually assaulted her and then took her home.