(Updated 12:05 p.m. Friday) ROCKVILLE, MD — Charges will be dropped against the two teens charged with raping a 14-year-old girl during school hours March 16 at Rockville High School, Montgomery County Public Schools says. The case rocked the school system, Montgomery County and even drew condemnation from the White House after authorities learned the two teens arrested are from Central America and likely entered the country illegally.

While police and prosecutors have said for the past two months that the girl was dragged into a bathroom and raped during school hours, defense attorneys said the girl lied about the encounter, which was consensual, and that the girl and one of the teens had previously had a sexual relationship. Instead, the teens will face possession of pornography charges. The boys arrested in the case are Jose Montano, 17, of an unconfirmed address and originally from El Salvador, and Henry Sanchez-Milian, 18, of the Aspen Hill area and originally from Guatemala.

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith said Friday morning that Sanchez-Milian will be charged with one count of possession of pornography and Montano will be referred to the juvenile court system. No other charges are being pursued. WTOP reports that prosecutors said in court Friday that the facts do not support the charges against Montano, who had been charged as an adult. Montano will be released and referred to juvenile court to face child pornography charges.

"We have concluded that the facts in this case do not support the original charges filed in this matter," State's Attorney John McCarthy said at a news conference Friday morning. "Due to the lack of corroboration and substantial inconsistencies from the facts that we have obtained from multiple sources since the filing of the original charging document, the original charges cannot be sustained, and prosecution on those charges is untenable." "While MCPS has no role in investigations, we always fully cooperate with the Montgomery County Police Department and the State's Attorney's office," Smith said in a statement. "We appreciate our colleagues for their extensive and thoughtful investigation into a matter that has significantly and adversely impacted our entire community."

The boys allegedly decided Montano would convince the victim to have sex with him in a school bathroom. Sanchez-Milian would interrupt them and threaten to tell a teacher if Montano and the girl didn't let him join, prosecutors said in March when filing the rape charges.



But defense attorneys for Montano said the encounter between the girl and Montano was consensual and planned. They said the girl skipped gym class to have sex with him.