Former Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley has broken his silence about the rape allegation against him.
Conley released a statement Wednesday regarding the claims in a police report that were filed in Cleveland. A woman is accusing Conley of raping her in a Cleveland hotel on April 9.
“The allegations against me concerning the night of April 8/9 that have recently been reported in multiple media outlets are completely false,” Conley said, as transcribed by TMZ.
“I did not commit a crime and have not been charged with a crime.”
ESPN reported the 23-year-old woman claims she met Conley in an elevator. And after she declined Conley’s invitation for group sex, he had sex with her and kicked her out of the hotel room.
“I pride myself on doing things the right way on and off the field,” Conley said. “The things being said about me and what happened that night are not true and don’t fit my character at all. I realize that I put myself in the situation and I could have used better judgment. However, I have worked tirelessly to put myself in position to have the honor of being an NFL draft pick and these untrue allegations are putting a huge cloud over my name and the NFL Draft.”
In the statement, Conley claims he has the evidence needed to disprove the allegation.
“There were several witnesses, including another female, who were present the entire time and have given statements that give an accurate account of what took place,” Conley said. “We also have video evidence that further discredit and disprove other versions of these events.”
NESN.com ranked Conley as the 19th best prospect before the allegation. Although he is a potential first-round pick, Conley has decided not to attend the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia, due to the accusation.
“I was excited about participating in Thursday’s draft, but I have decided that it would be selfish for me to stay and be a distraction to the NFL, the other players, and their families who have worked just as hard as me to enjoy the experience so I will not be in attendance,”
The 2017 NFL Draft starts Thursday.
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Thumbnail photo via Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports Images
