The lead prosecutor in the case against former Vanderbilt football players on rape charges has publicly stated James' Franklin's contact with the alleged victim was not improper.

Nashville Deputy District Attorney Tom Thurman told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he knew about communication between the alleged victim and the former Vanderbilt head football coach. Now the head football coach at Penn State, Franklin responded to the allegations by saying he did nothing wrong.

"I can't comment on it much other than to say the statement we've always made is there is no indication that coach Franklin did anything inappropriate in this investigation," Thurman said.

Attorneys for Brandon Vandenburg, one of four former Vanderbilt football players charged with aggravated rape, filed a 24-page document earlier this week accusing the defense of evidence tampering. According to the Tennessean, the filing also accused Franklin of improperly contacting the alleged victim.

The filing also alleged "that Coach Franklin called her in for a private meeting and told her he wanted her to get fifteen pretty girls and form a team to assist with the recruiting even though he knew it was against the rules. He added that all the other colleges did it."

Thurman said Franklin's contact with the victim is not important to the case. John Herbison, one of Vandenburg's attorneys, said that is not the case since Franklin's phone call occurred shortly after the alleged rape.

"The communications that the alleged victim had near to the time of the event are very relevant because she is now claiming... and had claimed then that she is unable to remember what happened," Herbison told the PPG.

Franklin released the following statement after the Tennessean reported details of the defense's filing.

"The allegations I did something wrong are simply not true. I have cooperated fully with the authorities in this matter, but, out of respect for the legal process, I am not able to comment any further."

Related