Update June 27, 10:04 p.m.:

Penn State has released the following statement about the allegations.

“Penn State takes all allegations of misconduct seriously. The University remains committed to fostering a safe and respectful environment for all students, staff, and community members. The University takes anonymity seriously, and if any individual has concerns, they are encouraged to report them to the appropriate offices, including University Police and Public Safety or the Office of Ethics and Compliance.”

Original Story:

Penn State student newspaper, The Daily Collegian, published an article Thursday morning detailing alleged misconduct by former Penn State wrestler Carter Starocci.

The article accused the five-time national champion of sexual misconduct and property theft, with most sources coming forward and speaking anonymously to The Collegian.

Rumors of misconduct and inappropriate behavior have circulated around Penn State students for years, with former Penn State wrestler Beau Bartlett and his wife, Sydney, recently releasing statements about issues with a teammate later revealed to be Starocci.

The Bartletts were aware of sexual assault accusations against Starocci, and after informing Starocci’s girlfriend of the allegations, Beau claims over $1,000 of his property was stolen from his locker in Penn State’s wrestling facilities by Starocci as retaliation.

Other teammates believed Starocci had stolen from their lockers in the past, as well as claiming physical and sexual misconduct against them by Starocci that occurred within the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex.

Several Penn State students said that Starocci began pursuing them when they were freshmen at Penn State, sometimes as young as 16 or 17 years old. In one case, the former wrestler allegedly brought a girl into the LWC gym, locker room, and sauna on multiple occasions before inviting her to his house where he raped her twice.

Another girl shared that Starocci sent explicit images to her and her underage friends and sexually assaulted her when she attempted to leave his house after a visit.

Bartlett filed a police report over his stolen property to university police, but the case was closed after they were unable to contact Starocci, and the incident was referred to student conduct, which finished its investigation on June 4.

Head coach Cael Sanderson and other members of staff were reportedly aware of the allegations before Bartlett took them to the police. Coaches apparently informed him that Starroci would not sign with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club after completing training for Final X due to his “character issues.”

Penn State, Penn State Athletics, and Starocci did not immediately reply to Onward State’s requests for comment.

Onward State will update this story as more information becomes available.