Everson Trial: Former UI swimmer testifies about alleged sexual assault

Former University of Iowa football player Abe Satterfield dodged a possible 35 years in prison by agreeing to testify against his former roommate in a sexual assault case this week.

Satterfield's testimony on Wednesday didn't seem to significantly help the state's case against Cedric Everson III, who is accused of working with Satterfield to sexually assault a female swimmer on Oct. 14, 2007, in Hillcrest Residence Hall.

“She was the aggressor,” Satterfield said about the woman. “I just sat back and, she was the aggressor, that's all I can say.”

Everson, a 21-year-old former football player, is charged with second-degree sex abuse, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison.

Satterfield, 22, was facing that same charge, as well as third-degree sex abuse, when he took a plea deal in April that allowed him to skip prison if he agreed to testify against Everson. Satterfield pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit serious injury, which means he will not have to register as a sex offender.

Prosecutors must prove that two or more people were involved in the alleged assault to convict Everson of second-degree sex abuse. Otherwise, they could ask the jury to convict him of a lesser charge of third-degree sex abuse, assault with intent to commit serious injury or assault.

Police allege that Satterfield forced the intoxicated woman to have sex with him in Hillcrest's Room N207 and then allowed Everson to have sex with her while she was passed out. Satterfield testified Wednesday that he was sleeping beside the woman in the dark room when Everson tapped him on the shoulder.

“He told me to get off the bed and I got off the bed and got onto the floor,” Satterfield said. “I fell asleep instantly. I got tapped again and told to get back on the bed.”

Everson said he did not know why Everson asked him to get up and heard nothing while Everson was in the room. The next morning, Satterfield heard Everson talking to another teammate about the incident.

“He said, ‘Me and Abe just had sex with this girl.' The term he used was ‘train', when one or more people have intercourse or something with a female.”

When cross-examined by Everson's attorney, Satterfield said the woman willingly performed oral sex on Satterfield and helped him put on a condom. He said there was no arrangement to allow Everson to have sex with the woman.

Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz spent about 10 minutes on the stand Wednesday morning, testifying about a conversation he had with Everson in which Ferentz told the athlete that Everson's accounts of the incident differed from those of other players. “He disagreed with the information,” Ferentz said. “I said, ‘So you're telling me these players are lying? He said ‘Yes they are'.”

Darrell Johnson-Koulianos, a receiver charged with drug crimes last month, testified about finding a bloodstained mattress pad in Room N207 and throwing away a condom. He moved into the room after the alleged assault.

Semen found inside the woman matched Everson's DNA, testified Michael Halverson, a criminalist with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations. Bloodstains on the mattress matched the woman's DNA, he said.

The Gazette does not name sex abuse victims.

Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday. Judge Paul Miller will hear a few motions Thursday, but the jury will not hear the defense case until Tuesday. Spies indicated that his witnesses should take half a day.

[nggallery id=460]

Live coverage by reporter Erin Jordan