Victim Is Defended By Relatives

On Wednesday, NBC 10 News talked to people who defended a star football player who had been arrested for an alleged sexual assault on a 15-year-old girl. Now, NBC 10 News talks exclusively to close relatives of the victim.

Police said that Issac Redman, 18, a running back and wrestler for Paulsboro High School, assaulted the teen in a car at a teen party Tuesday.

The alleged victim's relatives and friends were concerned about being at risk for retaliation for talking, so NBC 10 agreed not to use their names or faces. Some of them were at the party where the alleged assault took place, in Pitman, N.J.

"It's not about his football career, it's not about his stats, it's about what he did wrong," said one male friend.

The man said that he is outraged that Redman is being portrayed as a saint after being charged with sexually assaulting the teen.

"You could just tell something was wrong with her. She was not her usual self. She's usually walking around with a smile on her face, and you just don't see that anymore," the male friend said.

Some of the people at the party claim that the problems began when the athletes arrived, and they say more people than Redman were involved.

"A lot of people that were there were chasing the girls around ... one girl was locked in the bathroom and wasn't allowed to leave the room until she kissed the guy," said a second male friend of the victim.

The girl's friends and family said they have come forward because they believe there is too much concern over how this all will affect Redman's life and sports career and not enough concern about the emotional toll on the victim.

"I pray this is just temporary. This is something that could ruin somebody's life. Emotionally, mentally scar somebody, and I just pray that she overcomes it with time," said the first friend.

The girl's friends and family tell NBC 10 that Redman called the alleged victim and asked her to drop the charges. Investigators are looking into that accusation, as well.

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