The trial of a former university student and football player accused of rape has started.
Charles Lamar, 25, is facing a life sentence on the charges. The trial started Wednesday in front of Wood
County Common Pleas Judge Molly Mack.
Lamar, a native of Lake Mary, Florida, graduated in May from Bowling Green State University.
Opening statements showed the prosecution will bring up discrepancies and inconsistencies in Lamar’s
statements while the defense will challenge the victim’s credibility.
Lamar was indicted in June for two counts kidnapping (sexual motivation specification and violent
predator specification), rape (sexual violent predator specification) and aggravated burglary, all
first-degree felonies. He was also indicted for disrupting public service, a fourth-degree felony.
Wood County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Brian Boos started opening statements by saying the alleged
victim, who is Lamar’s former girlfriend, showed up at a friend’s apartment on June 15 with no shoes, no
phone and no purse.
She kept repeating “CJ raped me, CJ raped me,” Boos said.
He said surveillance at the apartment building shows her running just after 5:30 a.m.
Those same cameras show Lamar getting in his vehicle and exiting in the direction the victim took.
The two had an on-again, off-again relationship for three or four years but she reached her breaking
point when he searched her cell phone.
When she told him to get out of her apartment, he left angry, Boos said.
“The defendant could not accept that,” he said.
She went to bed but awoke to Lamar tapping on her bedroom window. Boos said he will let the victim
explain why she unlocked her door to let him in.
She ultimately said she would leave if he didn’t. He then grabbed her phone and purse and blocked the
bedroom door, Boos said.
“You will hear (the victim) describe being raped in her own bedroom by the defendant,” he said.
She repeatedly screamed she didn’t want this, he said. When she saw an opportunity, she grabbed her phone
and jumped out her bedroom window. Lamar followed her to the parking lot where he grabbed her phone and
threw it to the pavement.
When Lamar tried to convince her to return to the apartment, she screamed for help, he let her go and she
ran, Boos said.
A friend took her to the hospital.
Lamar said no sex took place that night and the vaginal sample was from a consensual encounter three days
prior, Boos said.
He said the state will call DNA experts, nurses and detectives with the Bowling Green Police Division as
witnesses, as well as the victim and her friend.
The jury will hear a claim Lamar planned all along to move to Florida. He knew there was a rape kit, he
knew there was a warrant for his arrest, yet he still moved, Boos said.
In interviews with detectives, Lamar allegedly said it was the victim who had restrained him. An
investigation showed all relevant messages on his phone had been erased after it was found in possession
of a third party who Boos claimed harassed the victim to drop the charges.
Defense attorney Justin Daler reminded the jury the two had dated for five years “and they both seemed
happy.”
“There is no doubt Charles Lamar waived his Miranda rights, told detectives he and (the victim) had
consensual sex two days prior to (these charges),” Daler said.
“There will be no issue whether there was sexual relations two days before,” he said. “There is no rape
and kidnapping on June 15th.”
The issue is whether the accuser is lying, Daler said.
“It means you’re going to have to do your job,” he told the jury.
Daler questioned the victim’s credibility and the credibility of other evidence.
The evidence will answer all questions and you will decide case wasn’t proven beyond a reasonable doubt
and return with verdict of not guilty, Daler said to the jury.
Both kidnapping charges have an enhancement of a sexually motivation specification, which elevates the
kidnapping to a felony of the first degree.
When Lamar didn’t appear July 6 for his arraignment, a nationwide warrant was issued for his arrest.
He was arrested July 21 and remains in jail on a $200,000 bond.
Lamar rejected a plea offer earlier this month.
He was a running back on the BGSU Falcon football team. He played two games in 2019 and 12 games in 2018.