Former Trinity sophomore Eric Irons will face rape allegations in district court Jan. 27—more than two months after his original scheduled date. His court date was recently changed from Nov. 9 on the North Carolina Court System’s website.
Irons was arrested Sept. 8 on charges of second-degree rape and first-degree kidnapping of a female student by the Duke University Police Department. In an October interview, Irons’ attorney Bill Thomas said his client plans to face the allegations in court.
“Eric Irons is an innocent man,” Thomas said in October. “We have located witnesses and have evidence that the allegations made against him are entirely false. I have every confidence that, once all of the facts are known, that Eric Irons will be completely exonerated of any wrongdoing whatsoever.”
Irons, a 19-year-old from Hong Kong, was charged and released Sept. 8 on a $75,000 bond, according to court records. He withdrew from Duke Sept. 9 following his arrest.
Irons allegedly assaulted a 20-year-old female student April 17 at a Central Campus apartment party, according to the probable cause affidavit, part of the application for a search warrant for DUPD. Many witnesses said the female student was “very intoxicated,” the affidavit reads.
In October, Thomas declined to say whether Irons has returned to Hong Kong since withdrawing from the University, adding that he is unsure whether Irons will re-enroll at Duke if he is found innocent.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.