Luke Armstrong, son of former cyclist Lance Armstrong, was arrested in Texas for sexual assault earlier this week stemming from an incident in 2018. Because his accuser was 16 at the time, Armstrong was charged with felony sexual assault of a child.
According to an affidavit obtained by the Associated Press, the alleged victim first reported the assault to police in November. A month later, she recorded a phone call with Armstrong, who admitted to having sex with her in his home two years prior. Armstrong’s accuser believes that encounter was nonconsensual and confided in several friends who relayed her sentiment.
A student at Rice University, Armstrong played football as a reserve fullback for the Owls from 2018-20. The 21-year-old was arrested Tuesday and subsequently released on bond.
“What occurred three years ago in high school was not a crime and was not a sexual assault. It was a consensual relationship then and continued consensually between two young people, with both ultimately going their separate ways,” said Armstrong’s attorney, Randy Leavitt, flatly denying the charges against his client. “These charges should never have been filed, certainly not three years later.”
The world’s top cyclist during his racing heyday, Armstrong won a record seven straight Tour de Frances from 1999-2005, though his titles were later stripped after admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs (specifically blood doping) for much of his career. Luke is the oldest of Armstrong’s five children.
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