Former Cowboys Safety C.J. Spillman Charged With Sexual Assault
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DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) - One time Dallas Cowboys Safety and current NFL free agent C.J. Spillman has been charged with sexual assault for an incident that occurred at the Cowboys' team hotel in September, according to the Tarrant Co DA's office.
According to reports, Spillman was charged after a Tarrant County Grand Jury issued an indictment Monday.
Law enforcement officials say the alleged attack on a woman happened in September 2014 at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine.
When the victim reported the incident, Spillman was not disciplined by the Cowboys or the NFL and traveled with the Cowboys to Saint Louis and played the next day in a game against the Rams.
The Cowboys didn't re-sign Spillman in the off-season and he is for now without a team.
Spillman's bond is set at $15,000.
Spillman was accused of sexual assault in 2013 when he played for San Francisco, but was never arrested.
The alleged victim in the case has hired Gloria Allred, a California attorney well-known for taking on high profile women's cases, to represent her. Allred released a statement criticizing the NFL and Dallas Cowboys' handling of the case, pointing out that the organization never punished Spillman and that the Cowboys allowed him to play one day after the allegation.
Her full statement is here:
"Once again, the NFL has clearly dropped the ball on a serious allegation of sexual assault made to the police in Texas against NFL player C.J. Spillman (who formerly played with the Dallas Cowboys).
Despite this sexual assault allegation for which Mr. Spillman is now indicted and another allegation of sexual assault made to the police in California by another alleged victim, prior to the Texas sexual assault allegation made to the police, the NFL continued to allow Mr. Spillman to play with the Dallas Cowboys.
Ironically, my client, the alleged victim in the Texas case reported the alleged sexual assault to the police on September 20, 2014, one day after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell held a major news conference in which he stated "I got it wrong in the handling of the Ray Rice matter. I am sorry for that. I got it wrong on a number of levels – from the process that I led to the decision that I reached."
Despite the fact that on September 26, 2014, I delivered a letter to Commissioner Goodell's office advising him of the police report alleging rape made to the Texas police on September 20, 2014, and despite the fact that after that I spent countless hours both in New York and California with NFL investigators who were investigating allegations against Mr. Spillman, the NFL appeared to do nothing and never informed me that they would take any action or impose any discipline at all against Mr. Spillman.I am very happy that the criminal justice system will now try to move forward to prosecute Mr. Spillman but it is shameful that the NFL has taken no meaningful action in the interim.
Their face-saving P.R. campaign which, in my opinion, was designed to make them appear to be sympathetic to victims of sexual assault or domestic violence is now revealed for what it really was, a sham and a slick P.R. trick, because their words did not match their deeds in this case.
I look forward to the criminal justice system making every effort to make Mr. Spillman accountable for what is alleged in the indictment.
The NFL failed to do what Commissioner Goodell promised. He stated "I believe in accountability. I understand the challenge before me and I will be held accountable for meeting it."
Gloria Alred, who is representing the alleged victim in Texas told CBS11:
"We're not interested in PR, damage control, spin control campaigns where the NFL and Commissioner Goodell tries to make itself appear to be sympathetic to victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. We want deeds, not just words."
"I think it's a sham to suggest that they're sympathetic when they have gone through this exercise and not done anything that appears to have been appropriate, given their personal conduct policy."
"Again, with the NFL, winning is more important than allegations of sexual assault of women."
*This is a developing story. Listen to 105.3 The Fan for the latest information.
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