Alleged Gang Rape by Lloyd Irvin Students In D.C. Raises Questions About His Past

On New Year's Eve, two men who train at the Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts School outside of Washington DC, allegedly lured an intoxicated fellow mixed-martial arts (MMA) student from a DC club into the parking lot of a church and repeatedly, brutally raped her. The two have been in custody since and are making initial appearances in federal court this month. Irvin is himself an extremely well known and successful instructor in the MMA world, and posted an appropriate statement on the arrests a few days ago.What has others in the MMA world concerned, though, is the (still unconfirmed) possibility that Irvin himself was charged with rape in 1989 and acquitted, if he is the same person, because a jury believed he was impotent and unable to complete a sexual act. At least one popular MMA website has posted its argument as to why Irvin is very likely the same person charged while a 20 year-old college junior. What concerns them is less that Irvin may have been charged with rape more than 20 years ago. Rather, their concern is how Irvin might be deflecting attention from his own past and seeking to manipulate search engines by marketing self-defense rape seminars by purchasing a LloydIrvinRape.com domain name.Irvin has not affirmed or denied whether he is the same person charged back then. Even if he was, it doesn't mean he can't run a successful business now and even one including self-defense seminars. But as some of his observers and followers have pointed out, he should be clear on whether his own past might affect how he can deal with both the horrific crime allegedly perpetrated by his own students (on a fellow student) and his contributions to rape prevention going forward.