A former San Diego State football player was arrested Thursday on suspicion of possession of child pornography discovered during the investigation of a reported gang rape, authorities said.
Sex crimes investigators recovered several terabytes of digital evidence from multiple search warrants served during the course of the investigation into the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl at a house party in 2021 and found child pornography, according to San Diego Police Department Lt. Adam Sharki.
The case was then turned over to investigators from the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Police obtained a court-authorized arrest warrant for Nowlin "Pa'a" Ewaliko, who turned himself into authorities and was booked into San Diego County Jail on one felony charge of possession of child pornography, Sharki said.
No charges were filed against Ewaliko or any of the other former players in the investigation of the alleged gang rape after "prosecutors determined it is clear the evidence does not support the filing of criminal charges and there is no path to a potential criminal conviction," according to a statement from the San Diego County District Attorney's Office issued Dec. 7.
The former players remain defendants in a lawsuit alleging the then-17-year-old victim was heavily intoxicated while raped by the men at an off-campus party in October 2021.
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Search warrants relating to the alleged rape of a young woman by members of the San Diego State University football team were unsealed by the San Diego County Superior Court yesterday. -
We visit Pine Valley’s Horse of the Sun Ranch. It’s open to the public, but geared towards military families. Then, local leaders are calling for the repeal of a state law that eliminated many criminal penalties for prostitution. Plus, we have some weekend arts events worth checking out.
