Dec. 22 (Bloomberg) -- North Carolina prosecutors dismissed rape charges against three members of the Duke University lacrosse team, though the players still face charges of kidnapping and sexual offense.

The players -- David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann -- were accused of raping a woman at a team party in Durham, North Carolina, in March.

Duke canceled the men's lacrosse season and coach Mike Pressler resigned in April after the woman, who was hired as an exotic dancer at an off-campus party for the team, told police she had been raped. The team was reinstated after players submitted guidelines for behavior that they promised to uphold.

The charges were dropped because the accuser said she doesn't know if she was penetrated, District Attorney Mike Nifong said in a filing with Durham County Superior Court.

Nifong's administrative assistant, Candy Clark, said that he declined to comment.

Joseph Cheshire, attorney for Evans, said in a televised news conference that prosecutors had no evidence ``to corroborate a physical assault of any kind.''

Evidence presented since the charges ``proved there was no sexual contact between these young men and this woman,'' he said.

Penalties

The players faced maximum penalties of 20 years in jail on the two most serious charges of rape and sexual offense.

The three players were arrested and indicted on rape charges in April. Evans, the team captain from Bethesda, Maryland, was indicted on the same charges May 15.

Defense lawyers said DNA evidence proved the players couldn't have raped the woman, accused Nifong of hiding evidence that might have cleared the players and criticized a photographic lineup used to identify them as suspects.

Last week, the head of a laboratory used by prosecutors told the court his lab failed to disclose that it found DNA from unidentified males in samples taken from the accuser's body and underwear.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Buteau in Atlanta at mbuteau@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: December 22, 2006 15:50 EST