An Alabama football player has been arrested on a sexual assault charge.
A Calhoun County grand jury indicted 19-year-old Antonio Ross on second-degree sodomy.
Sheriff Matthew Wade said Ross was arrested at a home in Weaver on Monday. He was booked into the Calhoun County Jail and released a short time later on $50,000 bond.
Details of the alleged crime have not yet been made public.
Weaver police Lt. Andy Hunter said the case was originally reported to and investigated by Anniston Police Department “who did an outstanding job gathering information and conducting interviews before it was discovered the alleged crime took place in the jurisdiction of Weaver.”
The investigation involves a juvenile female victim.
Hunter said the victim was interviewed at the Calhoun County Children’s Advocacy Center.
“This case highlights the need for these centers and funding for child advocacy workers who are specifically trained to interview children in a safe and comfortable space,’’ Hunter said. “The investigation led to a decision to forward the case to a Calhoun County Grand Jury, which took place during the week of August 28th, 2023.”
Efforts to reach the Calhoun County District Attorney’s Office were not immediately successful.
Ross was a preferred walk-on from Alexandria High, meaning he wasn’t a scholarship athlete but practiced and trained with the program.
The University of Alabama released a statement: “Tonio Ross is no longer part of the program and has been removed from campus.”
Like most walk-ons, Ross came from within the state. He was listed in Alabama football’s 2023 media guide as “Tonio Ross” a 6-foot-2, 180-pound freshman wide receiver.
His roster page was removed from the Alabama Athletics website and returned a 404 error code when accessed on Tuesday morning.
Ross had been committed to Liberty under then-head coach Hugh Freeze, but Ross reopened his recruitment once Freeze accepted the job at Auburn.
Ross totaled 29 touchdowns as a senior in high school, mainly as a running back.