The four Damascus High School students facing rape charges for allegedly assaulting four fellow junior varsity football players have been indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury.
Fifteen-year-olds Jean Abedi, Kristian Lee, Will Smith and Caleb Thorpe were each indicted Thursday night in Montgomery County Circuit Court on eight counts, including one count of first-degree rape, three counts of attempted first-degree rape and four counts of conspiracy to commit rape, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office .
Abedi, Lee and Smith were initially charged with two counts of first-degree rape, two counts of attempted first-degree rape and two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree rape. Thorpe was initially charged with four counts of first-degree rape and four counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree rape.
County police decided to charge the four defendants as adults on Nov. 21. Lee, Smith and Thorpe were released on a $20,000 bond on Monday while Abedi was released on Tuesday.
Court documents cite four victims in the incident that allegedly occurred after school Oct. 31 inside a school locker room. The alleged attacks have previously been described by officials as part of a hazing tradition .
The four defendants are scheduled to appear Dec. 21 in Montgomery County Circuit Court for a scheduling hearing.
