Former NFL star Lawrence Taylor pleads guilty to lesser charge in rape case

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Former NFL star Lawrence Taylor pleads guilty to lesser charge in rape case

2011-01-14 09:58:22 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- Former NFL star Lawrence Taylor on Thursday pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges and as a result will have to register as a sex offender, prosecutors said.

Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of Sexual Misconduct and one count of Patronizing a Prostitute in the Third Degree. This, however, is considerably less serious than the six counts which included rape in the third degree that he was initially facing.

According to prosecutors, in the early morning hours of May 6, 2010, Taylor engaged in sexual intercourse and oral sexual contact with a 16-year-old girl at the Holiday Inn Hotel in the Village of Montebello within the Town of Ramapo in New York State. Taylor then paid the teen $300.

The victim later told investigators that she had been verbally threatened, physically assaulted and brought to the hotel room by another individual, who was arrested by the New York City Police Department and is currently facing federal charges.

But Taylor previously denied the charges, saying he pleasured himself without ever touching the 16-year-old. His previous charges included rape in the third degree, endangering the welfare of a child, and patronizing a prostitute in the third degree. He would have faced up to four years in prison.

After the guilty plea to lesser charges, Taylor is expected to be sentenced on March 22 to six years probation with sex offender conditions. He will be leveled as a sex offender at a subsequent hearing in accordance with Megan's Law and Taylor will additionally be required to pay a fine in the amount of $2,000.

"Behind the celebrity, this case is really about the indifference shown by this defendant toward a troubled, young woman forced into a life of prostitution," said Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe. "The fact that this defendant faces six years of probation with a requirement to register as a sex offender in two states will undoubtedly serve as a deterrent to 'johns' who support the demand of teenagers for their own sexual gratification."

Zugibe said that, in this case, the 16-year-old girl was forced to perform numerous sexual acts for money and to turn over the cash proceeds to her alleged pimp, who has been identified as Rasheed Davis.

"Sex trafficking is often viewed as an unsavory industry in far-away countries, with children forced into lives of degradation. In fact, this criminal activity continues to metastasize in our own communities, fueling large-scale corruption and gang activity, while preying on and exploiting teens and children."

Zugibe noted that Taylor has cooperated with the Rockland County District Attorney's Office and U.S. Attorney in their ongoing probe into sex trafficking in the New York area, in connection with the Rasheed Davis case.

"We made a decision to aggressively prosecute this case, notwithstanding a defendant in the public eye. Today's agreed-upon plea reflects that. It is up to law enforcement and prosecutors to fight the demand that drives the underage sex business. Prostitution implies the young women as being complicit. But, these young women, and sometimes young men, are victims, not criminals."

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, an estimated 80 to 95 percent of children selling sex have a history of sexual abuse, including the victim in this case, prosecutors said.

Ramapo Police Chief Peter Brower added: "The commitment and partnership of this department and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office were crucial to a successful outcome. This department believes that the resolution reached in this case is fair and appropriate."

Lawrence Taylor is a Hall of Fame former American football player who played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League (NFL). Many consider him as one of the greatest players in the history of football.

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