An attorney for Lance Armstrong’s son denied allegations that his client sexually assaulted a minor in an incident that occurred in 2018, according to KXAN in a piece published Wednesday.
Luke Armstrong, 21, was arrested and accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in June 2018 when he was 18, according to an Austin Police Department affidavit obtained by KXAN. She reported the alleged incident to police in November 2020, according to the outlet.
Armstrong’s lawyer, Randy Leavitt, said in a statement to the local station the sexual assault “absolutely did not occur” and a “proper and thorough legal process will exonerate” his client.
“What occurred three years ago in high school was not a crime and not a sexual assault. What it was was a consensual relationship then and it continued to be consensual between the two young people with both ultimately going their separate ways. These charges should never have been filed and certainly not three years later.”
BREAKING: Son of cyclist Lance Armstrong accused of sexually assaulting 16-year-old, Austin police say https://t.co/JFaVb2KYpe
— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) April 7, 2021
The victim told authorities it happened at a party in June 2018 when she received a ride to Armstrong’s father’s Austin, Texas, home after drinking too much, the document said according to KXAN. The girl reportedly told police she didn’t remember the ride home but woke up as Armstrong was allegedly sexually assaulting her on a couch at the home, according to the outlet.
The victim recorded a phone call with Armstrong in December 2020, and he admitted during the conversation he had sex with her, the affidavit said according to KXAN. Armstrong allegedly told her that he had remembered asking if they were going to have sex and “her taking her clothes off and walking to the bed herself,” the document said according to KXAN.
The Austin Police Department conducted interviews with multiple people the victim had told about the incident, and most remember her describing it as sexual assault, the affidavit said according to KXAN. However, one person reportedly described the sexual encounter as “consensual,” according to the outlet.
Luke Armstrong played football at Rice University in 2018 and 2019 as a walk-on but he chose not to participate in the 2020 season because of COVID-19, a spokesperson with Rice Athletics told KXAN. The school confirmed Armstrong is still a student, the outlet reported.
Lance Armstrong, who won seven Tour de France cycling titles before admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs, has yet to comment on the allegations against his son.
Luke Armstrong could face up to 20 years in prison, according to the affidavit, KXAN reported.