Demarco Whitley of Glen Ellyn is charged with one count of criminal sexual assault of a classmate. Authorities say the attack happened in Whitley's car behind a church in Rolling Meadows -- one hour before Whitley and a fellow high school football teammate, Pierre Washington-Steel, were involved in a deadly car accident.
Washington-Steel, whom police say was another suspect in the alleged attack, died after the accident.
Both teen boys played football for Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn.
Whitley, 18, was arrested on his way to school this week and charged. A 15-year-old girl says the teens assaulted her in their car before the crash. She reported the alleged attack to police the next day.
Police say it took them a year to charge Whitley because they were waiting for him to recover from his injuries.
Whitley's father says his son is "a good kid, a good student, a good athlete."
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
