Baltimore Ravens security director charged with sex offense

BALTIMORE - The security director of the Baltimore Ravens was charged Tuesday night with a sex offense and is due in court in February, according to court records.

Darren Sanders, 48, was charged with fourth-degree sexual offense, related to an incident that occurred Dec. 14, according to online court records for Baltimore City District Court.

The charge against Sanders lists his address as that of the Ravens' team headquarters in Owings Mills, Md. Normally, defendants in a criminal case are required to list a home address.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 9.

The record did not give more specifics on the charge or other details about the case. A spokesman for the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office on Wednesday declined to discuss the basis for the charge, saying the office does not comment on active cases.

A Baltimore police spokesman did not immediately respond to multiple requests about the case Wednesday.

News of the summons was first reported by the Baltimore Sun.

Sanders was not at the team complex Wednesday and the Ravens say he will not join the team when it travels to its wild-card game against the Steelers on Saturday.

Ravens spokesman Kevin Byrne told the Sun in a statement, "We are aware of the situation and have been investigating thoroughly."

Sanders' lawyer, Andrew Alperstein, told the Sun the charges were "totally fabricated, made up."

This year, Sanders helped lead the Ravens' investigation into the Ray Rice domestic violence case.

In 2004, Sanders was charged with bringing a concealed pistol into an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament game in Greensboro, N.C., where he was shot in the hip when the gun accidentally fired. Sanders, identified in archived accounts of the incident as an off-duty Baltimore police detective, was working at the game as a bodyguard for Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti.

It's unclear whether Sanders was convicted of the charge against him.