Texas A&M's Kirk Merritt pleads not guilty to indecent exposure charges

Texas A&M wide receiver Kirk Merritt has entered not guilty pleas regarding two charges of indecent exposure filed last fall, according to Brent Zwerneman of The Houston Chronicle.

According to a courthouse clerk at Brazos County Courthouse, Merritt pleaded not guilty to the charges on March 27 and that an updated hearing date has not been set.

One of the alleged victims has accused Merritt of exposing and touching himself "while sitting in arm's reach." A court document states that a day later, a second alleged victim claimed Merritt pulled down his shorts and held himself "while sitting in arm's reach" of her.

Both alleged victims were tutors at Texas A&M in the Bright Football complex, according to two people with knowledge of the case.

Merritt requested a delay of arraignment in which his attorney, Rick Davis, wrote that "This objection is not solely for delay but so that justice may be done." Davis later released a statement to The Houston Chronicle, clarifying his client's stance.

"Kirk Merritt has been charged with Indecent Exposure under Section 21.08 of the Texas Penal Code because of two incidents during tutoring sessions that happened on two consecutive days," Davis said. "While Kirk is very embarrassed about this situation, and has apologized to the two tutors that he offended, he did not intend to gratify anyone by exposing himself," Davis said. "The fact is that Kirk had a bad case of jock itch."

Merritt sat out all of last season after transferring from Oregon following his freshman year in which he caught just five passes for 61 yards.

A Texas A&M spokesman told Zwerneman that he is looking into the matter further, while Davis was not immediately available for comment.