Athens high school student accused of raping girl in stairwell

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) Three Athens high school students are facing charges after a 15-year-old girl says she was raped in a school stairwell.

Athens-Clarke County police Sex Crimes Unit commanding officer Lt. Jeff Clark tells the Athens Banner-Herald (http://bit.ly/20LaXUx ) that the girl says she willingly went into a stairwell at Cedar Shoals High School with three male friends on Jan. 7 when one of them sexually assaulted her. She says the other two watched or helped to restrain her.

A 17-year-old juvenile is charged with rape and being a party to the crime of criminal attempt to commit aggravated sodomy with force. Eighteen-year-old Markel D. Brannon and 18-year-old Xavier M. Clarke are both charged with being a party to the crime of rape, in addition to other charges.