UCLA's Adam Searl Indefinitely Suspended Amid Rape Investigation

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) punter Adam Searl was arrested on Thursday on allegation of rape which reportedly happened about a year ago.

According to Daily Mail, the investigation on the incident was done by the Los Angeles Police Department, which released the following statement:

"On October 19, 2014, a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported that she was the victim of a sexual assault. She had met the suspect outside of an off-campus house party in Westwood and he accompanied her to a nearby residence."

The female victim claimed that she fell asleep and when she awoke, she discovered Searl sexually assaulting her, said the authorities.

Eventually, the police force tagged the investigation "exhaustive" but did not explain why it had to take nearly a year before the suspect was arrested, reports Fox Sports.

Daily Mail adds that the punter was apprehended inside the campus and was booked "on suspicion of three counts of rape." However, he was released later that day after paying $300,000 bail. The case is expected to be presented to prosecutors next week with Searl set to make his appearance in court by the end of the month.

In a statement, UCLA coach Jim Mora said that they already know of the Searl's arrest.

"We have been informed of the situation involving Adam Searl and we take these accusations very seriously. Adam has been suspended from the team indefinitely while the legal process runs its course. Due to the police investigation, we are unable to discuss this matter further at this time," Mora said in a statement quoted by Daily Mail.

Additionally, Heavy reports that Searl's family has not made any statement on the incident. The report also noted that the social media accounts of the punter reveal that he is dating someone.

Meanwhile, The Guardian states that Searl was a walk-on sophomore who was not able to record a punt during the first four games of the UCLA. However, it was noted that he punted five times when his team fought versus Arizona State during week 5.

According to an ESPN report, Searl began with the UCLA program in 2013. The same report said that he is not the first UCLA football player to be arrested this season. Junior cornerback Ishmael Adams was also arrested earlier this year for robbery.

Adam reportedly missed the first three games of his team but was able to return, when the Los Angeles County District Attorney decided not to pursue the case filed against him.