Pimentel found not guilty

Published 11:59 am Friday, October 2, 2015

Longwood University senior men’s basketball player Jason Pimentel was found not guilty of assault and battery in Prince Edward Circuit Court on Thursday.

Pimentel was originally charged with sexual battery following the Nov. 2014 incident, said Commonwealth’s Attorney James Ennis.

“His original charge was sexual battery. At the conclusion of the commonwealth’s evidence, the charge was amended to assault and battery,” he said.

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Ennis described the situation that the charge stemmed from as “an encounter in a hallway at Longwood University between Mr. Pimentel and one of the resident advisors.”

Pimentel was indicted on the original charge of sexual battery, Ennis said.

“In this difficult matter, Jason Pimentel has now exercised his right to a trial by jury and been found not guilty,” said Troy Austin, Longwood’s director of athletics. “We will have no further comment.”

Before appealing the incident to circuit court, Pimentel was found guilty of sexual battery Prince Edward General District Court in February.

“That’s what juries are for. We respect the verdict whether we agree with it or not, we respect the process and we respect the jury’s verdict,” Ennis said.

Pimentel, a forward listed on the 2015-2016 team roster, was indefinitely suspended from the team in early November. He was reinstated to the team before a Feb. 16 home game against Charleston Southern University.