Douglas Walker

dwalker@muncie.gannett.com

WINCHESTER, Ind. — An Indiana University athlete from Randolph County was arrested Thursday, charged with two counts of child molesting.

On Wednesday, Randolph County sheriff's deputies received a report of a "possible relationship" between Kiante Christopher Enis, 19, of the 200 block of East Main Street in Saratoga, and "a child 13 years or younger."

According to a press release issued by the sheriff's department, Enis was interviewed by investigators and "admitted to a consensual sexual encounter that occurred on at least two occasions in Randolph County."

Enis was arrested and booked into the Randolph County jail, where he was being held under a $20,000 bond.

Child molesting is a Level 3 felony carrying up to 16 years in prison. Sheriff Ken Hendrickson confirmed to The Star Press the man under arrest is the well-known local athlete who starred in multiple sports at Winchester Community High School.

Doug Fritz, Randolph County chief deputy sheriff, confirmed the alleged victim in the case was a girl.

He said she and Enis had been "friends within the community."

'I want to get those boys': Kiante Enis' story

Asked whether Enis had been asked to return to Randolph County for questioning on Thursday, Fritz said, "He happened to be in Randolph County today."

Enis' birthday was Thursday.

Enis received an athletic scholarship to play football at Indiana University, where he was listed on the football roster Thursday morning. The university released a statement Thursday afternoon saying that Enis had been dismissed from the team, effective immediately.

Enis did not appear in a game for the Hoosiers. He did not appear to be on the field for warmups ahead of IU's Sept. 10 game against Ball State, and IU coach Kevin Wilson said Tuesday that Enis had been dealing with a concussion.

Enis was a finalist for the IndyStar Mr. Football award, and was the Mr. Football position award winner as the state’sbest running back. He finished fifth overall in Mr. Football voting.

As a senior at Winchester, Enis rushed for 2,393 yards and 35 touchdowns, leading the Falcons to a 10-3 record and its first sectional championship.

Enis originally verbally committed to attend the University of Michigan on a football scholarship, but later de-committed to stay closer to home, and he signed with IU.

Last spring, Enis qualified for the state finals in track and field, and finished fourth in the state in the 100-meter dash.

Enis' arrest is the second off-the-field incident involving an IU football player in as many days.

Backup kicker Aaron Del Grosso was arrested early Wednesday morning, and charged with criminal trespassing and public intoxication, following an argument with an ex-girlfriend over ownership of a dog.

Freshman defensive lineman Jerome Johnson was cited for illegal consumption of alcohol on Sept. 3, after being discovered unconscious in a dorm stairwell.

Player discipline across both IU's football program and the athletic department at large has come into sharper focus in recent years.

Former IU and Ben Davis star Antonio Allen was arrested -- and later dismissed from the Indiana football program -- on multiple drug-related counts in 2015. And IU's basketball program was beset by several off-the-court incidents in 2014 and 2015, incidents which eventually led directly to the dismissal of three different players: Devin Davis, Hanner Mosquera-Perea and Emmitt Holt.

At an all-staff athletics meeting in August 2015, IU President Michael McRobbie issued a stern warning against further problems.

"What I do not want to see is any more stories of repeated student misbehavior. They embarrass the university, they embarrass all of you in Athletics, and they are a complete distraction from our primary role as an educational institution," McRobbie said then. "This misbehavior simply has to stop."

IU kicker Aaron Del Grosso arrested early Wednesday

Zach Osterman contributed to this report.