FAYETTEVILLE -- University of Arkansas golfers Taylor Moore and Nicolas Echavarria have been suspended from the team indefinitely after being arrested and charged Wednesday with video voyeurism, a Class D felony.
Moore, 21, and Echavarria, 20, were arrested after admitting they took sexually explicit cellphone photos of a female who was intoxicated and passed out at Moore's house, according to a Fayetteville Police Department report.
Police found a photo on Echavarria's phone of the victim's buttocks and vagina, the report said.
Recording images of an individual's private body parts without the person's consent is considered video voyeurism and punishable by a fine or up to a year in jail.
Moore, a junior from Edmond, Okla., is the Razorbacks' top golfer with a per-round average of 71.8 in 10 tournaments this season. Echavarria, a junior from Medellin, Colombia, is their fourth-best golfer with a 73.8 average.
The Razorbacks, who finished sixth at the SEC Tournament, play May 14-16 at the NCAA Yale Regional in New Haven, Conn.
Arkansas' athletic department issued a statement saying it is aware of a pending legal issue involving two men's golfers and that the two have been suspended indefinitely from the golf program. UA officials declined further comment.
A female victim contacted Fayetteville police April 18 to report a rape, according to the report, but the subsequent report included no evidence of a physical assault.
The victim told police that on April 11 she consumed multiple alcoholic drinks at various bars on Dickson Street and then ran into Moore and Echavarria, whom she described in the report as friends of hers.
She said she went to two other locations with the pair, then because she was too intoxicated to drive she and another friend were given a ride by Moore and Echavarria. According to the victim, they dropped off her friendand then took her to Moore's house.
The victim, who told police she kept passing out in the car, said she was under the impression she would spend the night at Moore's house, then be given a ride home in the morning.
She said in the report that she put on a large golf shirt that hung past her knees and changed in private while also wearing a bra and underwear. She also was given a blanket she used to cover herself, then sat on a living room couch between Moore and Echavarria, the victim told police.
The victim said she kept passing out and waking up on the couch and recalled being carried into Moore's bedroom. The victim said while in the bedroom, she recalled seeing a flash of light and suspected Moore took photos of her.
Police said during their investigation that Moore's and Echavarria's cellphones were seized with a search warrant. A sexually explicit photo of the victim was recovered from Echavarria's phone. In the photo, it appeared the blanket covering her had been pulled down and her shirt had been pulled up.
Moore admitted taking the photo with Echavarria's phone while the victim was on the living room couch with Echavarria present, the report stated.
The victim was not aware of the photo being taken, according to police, because she was passed out.
Moore and Echavarria initially denied taking sexually explicit photos of the victim, the report said, then later recanted. Moore said he took pictures of the victim in his room, but he deleted them because the photos weren't revealing enough.
Moore and Echavarria were released from the Washington County jail Wednesday after posting bonds of $2,500 each.
Moore tied for sixth at the SEC Championships, shooting rounds of 73, 66 and 67. Echavarria tied for 53rd with rounds of 74, 72 and 73.
Sports on 05/07/2015