By FITSNews || Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will not face criminal charges stemming from an alleged sexual assault at a Georgia nightclub last month, but he could still be facing a civil lawsuit as well as discipline from the National Football League based on the events surrounding the alleged assault.
“The sexual allegations against Mr. Roethlisberger cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt; therefore, there will be no arrest made nor criminal prosecution of Mr. Roethlisberger for his actions here,” said Fred Bright, the local district attorney.
Additionally, Bright said that he had received a letter from Roethlisberger’s accuser saying that she did not wish for the criminal prosecution against him to proceed. Still, there could be potentially serious ramifications for “Big Ben” – who is already facing a lawsuit from a 2008 incident in which he allegedly raped a Nevada casino worker at Lake Tahoe.
Roethlisberger has denied those allegations, just as his attorney denied the charges against him in the Milledgeville, Georgia incident.
From ESPN:
Roethlisberger, who was out drinking with friends to celebrate his 28th birthday, bumped into the student and her sorority sisters throughout the night. They linked up at Capital City, where he invited them to a VIP section and bought them a round of shots.
As the night wore on, the student walked down a dingy hallway to a small bathroom, and Roethlisberger soon followed. What happened next remained unclear even after a month-long investigation.
The student told police she had been sexually assaulted, but the medical results were less clear. A doctor who examined her at a nearby emergency room discovered a cut, bruises and vaginal bleeding but could not say if she was raped. And while some DNA was found, there was not enough to determine whom it belonged to, Bright said.
The woman has yet to be identified – although numerous websites (including FITS) have posted exclusive pictures from the nightclub where the alleged assault occurred.
Roethlisberger’s attorney said that the two-time Super Bowl champion “was glad that this matter is over and (is) looking forward to going back to football practice next week and having a successful season.”
Before he does that, though, he faces a meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who could impose some punishment if he finds that Roethlisberger violated the league’s personal conduct policy.
By tamu88 April 13, 2010 at 9:20 am
Needs to read his fellow Pittsburghian’s book: The Sidney Crosby Book of How Not to Act Look an Ass in Public.