Former College Student Offered Plea Deal In False Rape Case

FAIRFIELD, CT — The former Sacred Heart University student from Long Island accused of falsely reporting being raped by two former football players at the school has until Jan. 10 to accept or reject a plea deal, according to News12 Connecticut.

Nikki Yovino, 19, of South Setauket, was arrested in February after Bridgeport Police say she recanted her original story, which alleged that the two men raped her in a basement bathroom at a house party on Lakeside Drive in Bridgeport on Oct. 14, 2016.

Yovino, who was 18 at the time of the incident, has been charged with second-degree filing a false report and tampering with evidence. She was denied a pretrial probation program by a Superior Court judge in October that could have led to a dismissal of the charge.

News 12 reports Yovino's defense attorney said details of the plea deal will remain confidential until the Jan. 10 court date.

Yovino initially reported to Bridgeport Police in October 2016 that she was sexually assaulted by a Sacred Heart University football player and another man who was a former student.

Police say they conducted a thorough investigation and met several times with Sacred Heart administrators.

"Initial statements from witnesses and evidence recovered from the scene suggested that a sexual assault had occurred," Bridgeport Police said in a press release following the arrest. "As the investigation continued, the case detective received more information that contradicted Yovino's statements to police. This information included new witness accounts, text messages and cell phone video. Yovino was confronted with this evidence, and admitted that she, in fact, did have consensual sex with both males."

Read more at News12 Connecticut here.

Photo via the Bridgeport Police Department

Story By Vincent Salzo