Ex-NFL Player Accused Of 2 Rapes In WeHo Faces New Sexual Assault Charges In Arizona
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Ex-NFL safety Darren Sharper, who is already charged with drugging and raping two women he met at a West Hollywood nightclub and accused of raping two more women in New Orleans, was indicted Wednesday on sexual assault and drug charges in Arizona.
Detectives served Sharper's attorney this morning with an indictment charging two counts of sexual assault and three counts of administering dangerous drugs involving alleged sexual assaults that occurred last Nov. 21 in Tempe, Ariz., according to the Tempe Police Department.
The allegations were presented Tuesday to a grand jury, which returned the indictment, according to Tempe police.
Sharper, 38, remains behind bars in Los Angeles -- without bail -- while awaiting a hearing Thursday in connection with an arrest warrant from New Orleans alleging that he raped two women there last Sept. 23.
At a hearing last week, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Renee Korn warned prosecutors that it seemed to be "unfair" to hold Sharper "in perpetuity" on the New Orleans arrest warrant without any charges being filed against him in that jurisdiction.
Sharper had previously been free on $1 million bail in connection with the allegations in Los Angeles, where he is charged with two counts of rape by use of drugs, four counts of furnishing a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance. The charges involve two women he met at a West Hollywood nightclub on Oct. 30, 2013, and Jan. 15.
After the Los Angeles case was filed Feb. 14, one of Sharper's attorneys, Blair Berk, said, "We look forward to the true facts being revealed in this case and we are hopeful that Mr. Sharper will be fully exonerated before this case is concluded."
Los Angeles County prosecutors noted last month that investigations -- regarding Sharper -- were also being conducted in Las Vegas and Miami Beach.
A member of the league's 2000s All-Decade Team and a five-time Pro Bowl selection, Sharper was suspended from his job as an analyst with the NFL Network following his initial arrest.
Sharper played for the Green Bay Packers (1997-2004), the Minnesota Vikings (2005-2008) and the New Orleans Saints (2009-2010). He was on the Saints team that won Super Bowl XLIV in February 2010.
