SAN JOSE, CA — (CNN) Former NFL defensive lineman Dana Stubblefield has been charged with raping a developmentally disabled woman in his home, the Santa Clara Deputy District Attorney said.
The alleged attack happened in April of 2015, according to prosecutor Tim McInerny.
Authorities say Stubblefield, 45, used the caretaker placement service sittercity.com to arrange an interview for a babysitter. Before the interview, Stubblefield told the alleged victim that he would pay her for the gas, mileage and time it took her to come to the interview.
But officials said that when the 31-year old woman forgot to get the $80 he promised, Stubblefield texted her to return to his home to collect the money. According to McInerny, the sexual assault occurred when the woman went back to Stubblefield’s house.
“This was a crime of violence against a vulnerable victim,” McInerny said in a press release.
“She was looking for a job and she was unconscionably assaulted.”
The victim left Stubblefield’s house and went directly to Morgan Hill Police to report the alleged assault.
She underwent a SART exam — sexual assault response team exam, which is an evidentiary medical exam conducted in sexual assault cases.
A crime lab confirmed DNA obtained from the victim matched that of Stubblefield.
An attorney for Stubblefield said the allegations being made against his client are false and fraudulent.
“Stubblefield is being unfairly targeted due to his celebrity and wealth by someone with full motivation to lie,” attorney Ken Rosenfeld said in a statement.
Rosenfeld said a sexual encounter did occur between Stubblefield and the woman, but it was consensual.
“The clear motivation here is money,” he said.
Stubblefield “passed a lie detector test and plans to present a full, vigorous defense against these allegations,” Rosenfeld said.
Stubblefield spent 11 years in the NFL, playing most of that time for the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and the 1993 NFL defensive rookie of the year.
Bail has been set at $250,000.
Stubblefield could face up to 16 years in state prison if convicted.
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