Affidavit: University of Evansville Aces baseball player charged with rape, sexual battery

EVANSVILLE — Police arrested a University of Evansville baseball player Wednesday morning after a victim accused the sophomore pitcher of raping and sexually assaulting her inside an on-campus dorm room in November.

Court and police records identified the UE athlete as 20-year-old Willard Peterson, a Wisconsin native who joined the Aces baseball team as a freshman in 2023.

On Tuesday, the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office levied charges against Peterson: two counts of rape, a Level 3 felony, and sexual battery, a Level 6 felony.

Magistrate Judge Donald R. Vowels determined there was probable cause to issue a warrant for Peterson's arrest, court records show, and confinement officers booked Peterson into the Vanderburgh County jail Wednesday at 10:45 a.m.

Vowels ordered Peterson to be held on a $15,000 cash bond.

UE Chief Communications Officer Noah Alatza provided the Courier & Press with a written statement Wednesday afternoon attributed to Kenneth Siegfried, UE's director of athletics, regarding Peterson's arrest.

"The University takes any allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and is cooperating fully with the authorities in their investigation," Siegfried's statement reads, in part. "UE Athletics remain committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability, and to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all members of our community."

The statement did not disclose what disciplinary action Peterson may face, though Siegfried noted that all students must adhere to the university's code of conduct.

The Evansville Police Department opened its investigation into Peterson on Nov. 12 after an officer responded to a “sensitive incident” at an Evansville hospital, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case.

At the hospital, the officer reportedly spoke to a female victim who said she had been raped the night before after she attended an off-campus party at a house utilized by the Aces baseball team.

The statement did not disclose what disciplinary action Peterson may face, though Siegfried noted that all students must adhere to the university's code of conduct.

Arrest affidavit cites testimony from victim, witnesses and Peterson

EPD Detective Rob Waller, writing in a sworn affidavit, said Peterson had agreed to give the victim a ride home from the party. But, the trip was cut short when Peterson brought the victim to his Jones Hall dorm room − ostensibly to pick up his car keys, Waller stated.

During a police interview, the victim reportedly told investigators that she laid down on Peterson's bed because she was dizzy and had a headache. That’s when Peterson is alleged to have begun sexually assaulting the victim, according to detectives' recounting of the victim’s testimony.

“She advised that she was laying on her left side, and Peterson came up behind her,” Waller wrote in Peterson's arrest affidavit.

The victim went on to say Peterson raped her, the affidavit states. The assault ended when the victim’s phone rang and she managed to throw Peterson off of her. The victim grabbed her phone and locked herself in a bathroom, where she called for help, the police said.

The victim was later taken to an Evansville hospital for treatment.

Detectives also interviewed a witness who had communicated with the victim before and after the attack, police records show. The witness corroborated the victim’s recounting of events, according to a review of Peterson’s arrest affidavit.

A text message the witness provided to the police reportedly showed the victim stating that a man was trying to have sex with her against her will.

Detective Waller said he met Peterson at UE’s campus on Nov. 17 alongside Kevin Corbin, the university’s director of public safety. Peterson reportedly waived his Miranda rights and consented to an interview with Waller.

“I asked [Peterson] what he did on Saturday night/Sunday morning,” Waller wrote, to which Peterson replied by saying he did a “team thing” at a house near Memorial High School often referred to by Aces baseball players as “home base.”

According to Waller’s account of the interview, Peterson changed his story about what happened the night of the alleged incident multiple times.

At first, Peterson claimed he left the party alone, Waller wrote in the affidavit. But Peterson later admitted that he brought the victim to his UE dorm, where she stayed for about 20 minutes.

“I asked if [the victim] was in his room, and [Peterson] said she could have been,” Waller wrote. “I asked if anything happened between them, and [Peterson] said no.”

But under additional questioning from Waller, Peterson allegedly retracted this denial and went on to say he had sexual intercourse with the victim — before changing his story again and claiming the victim was the “instigator” and had been “flirty” with him at the party, Peterson's arrest affidavit states.

A witness cited in police records disputed Peterson’s assertions regarding the victim. The witness also provided investigators with a text message the victim reportedly sent after the attack, which stated, “I just got raped.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, public court records did not yet disclose when Peterson would make his initial appearance. He was still listed in the Vanderburgh County jail’s roster as of 3:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: University of Evansville athlete arrested, charged with rape