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Retired NFL star Darren Sharper was charged with rape and drugging of 2 women in
Los Angele. He pleaded not guilty to an L.A. court on Thursday to the charges.
Judge Renee Korn ordered Sharper not to frequent any bars or
clubs with alcohol until his hearing. Sharper was also ordered not to be alone
with any women he does not have a previous relationship with. “The court
considers these crimes quite serious and has to evaluate the protection of the
public.” said Korn.
Attorney Blair Berk stated that Sharper would plead not
guilty to the charges. Sharper’s bail went to $1 million from $200,000 in
response to a prosecution request to raise it as high as $10.
Sharper, 38, is a five-time Pro Bowl player and an NFL
Network analyst. He is charged of two counts of rape by use of drugs, four
counts of carrying a controlled substance and one count of possession of a
control substance. The alleged rapes occurred in October of last month.
Sharper is accused of using morphine and zolpidem, on his
two victims, stating they blacked out after Sharper served them a shot. As well
as the charges in LA, he is under investigation in Las Vegas, New Orleans, and
Tempe, AZ. with a total of five alleged rape cases. A Florida woman last month filed a sexual
battery complaint in Miami against Sharper relating to a 2012 incident. The New
Orleans case would be the ninth rape case in five sates.
The alleged acts occurred between Spt. 22 and Jan. 15. Women
reported meeting Sharper at nightclubs then going back to wherever he was
staying for the night. Many said they
drank shots of alcohol offered by Sharper and then woke up not remembering
anything that happened.
“All of these were consensual contact between Mr. Sharper
and women who wanted to be in his company, who voluntarily ingested alcohol and
drugs in many cases,” said Sharper’s attorney Leonard Levine to the judge. If
convicted, Sharper faces more than 30 years in state prison.
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