College football player Parker Kingston, a wide receiver for the Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars, has been charged with first-degree felony rape, authorities said.
The Washington County Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday, Feb. 11, that the charge against Kingston, 21, stems from an incident alleged to have occurred Feb. 23, 2025, in St. George, Utah.
According to the release, the investigation began in February 2025 after the alleged victim — a woman who was 20 at the time — reported a sexual assault to officers at St. George Regional Hospital. Detectives with the St. George Police Department collected digital and forensic evidence and conducted interviews with those involved and other witnesses, the office said. The information was then submitted to prosecutors for review.
Officials said Kingston was taken into custody and was being held in Washington County without bail. An initial court appearance in Utah’s Fifth Judicial District Court was scheduled for Friday, Feb. 13, at 1:30 p.m. local time.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/BYU-Cougars-wide-receiver-Parker-Kingston-during-the-Pop-Tarts-Bowl-021226-5f537044858b4c1f83277b354f4e84b8.jpg)
In the same statement, the attorney’s office said it takes sexual assault allegations seriously and thanked the medical professionals and law enforcement personnel who assisted in the investigation.
BYU acknowledged Kingston’s arrest in a statement, saying the university takes any allegation seriously and will cooperate with law enforcement. The school added that it would not provide additional details due to privacy laws and university practices regarding students.
Kingston led BYU receivers during the 2025 season with 66 receptions for 924 yards and five touchdowns, and he added 199 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, according to a BYU student sports publication.
In a Jan. 2 Instagram post, Kingston said he planned to return to BYU for his final college season, writing that he had “one last ride” and that the team had “unfinished business.”
Kingston’s arrest comes amid broader scrutiny of the program following a separate allegation involving BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff. Retzlaff was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed in May of last year related to an alleged 2023 incident. The case was later dismissed, and Retzlaff transferred to Tulane University.
