Lance Armstrong and his family have spoken up against allegations that his son, Luke David, sexually assaulted a minor in 2018 when he was only just 18 and the alleged victim 16 years old.

The woman came forward with her accusations in November 2020 and claimed the young Armstrong raped her after a party in South Austin in June 2018. She had reportedly asked him to pick her up as she had been drinking.

The woman said she did not remember the ride on Luke's truck but remembered waking up on a couch where he lived. Instead of taking her home, he took her to a house at the 1700 block of Windsor Road, which Lance had put up for sale in March and sold in June of the same year.

A December 2020 phone call between the Rice University student and the alleged victim revealed that he admitted to having sex with her at his dad's house. But the family's attorney, Randy Leavitt, denied that a sexual assault or rape happened as both were in a "consensual relationship" at the time, which lasted for months during the summer.

"What occurred three years ago in high school was not a crime and was not a sexual assault. It was a consensual relationship then and continued consensually between two young people with both ultimately going their separate ways," Leavitt said in a statement published by 7News.

"These charges should not have been filed and certainly not three years later," he continued adding that the sexual contact "wasn't a one-time thing" as the two "had something of a relationship going on for a brief period of time."

Lance and his family are determined to clear Luke from the charges as they continue to gather evidence to dispute the alleged victim's claims with the district attorney. This includes getting details about the incident from those connected to the accuser. While most told the police that she reported she was sexually assaulted, one friend said the sex was consensual.

In the meantime, Luke has been released on a personal recognisance bond on Tuesday following his arrest. Leavitt said the Armstrong family is fully cooperating with the district attorney's office and that he is actively gathering witness testimonies and evidence for his client. The attorney believes that "a complete review of the facts will confirm what has been alleged absolutely did not occur. And a proper and thorough legal process will exonerate Luke."

Former cyclist Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong Reuters