Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia

QBREES9 · 03-06-2010, 11:39 PM

Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia

Associated Press
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's night of bar-hopping in a central Georgia college town ended with a new allegation against him after a 20-year-old college student told police that he sexually assaulted her in a nightclub.

The two-time Super Bowl winner already faces a lawsuit from a woman who claims Roethlisberger raped her in 2008 at a Lake Tahoe hotel and casino, an allegation he strongly denies. Roethlisberger hasn't been charged in either case.

Ben Roethlisberger has led the Steelers to two Super Bowl titles, but he has experienced off-the-field troubles.
The latest accusation came early Friday in downtown Milledgeville, about 85 miles southeast of Atlanta and about 30 miles south of the lake home that Roethlisberger owns.

Roethlisberger, who turned 28 on Tuesday, and two or three friends went to Buffington's bar earlier Thursday night to watch the University of Pittsburgh men's college basketball game, said Paul Kurcikevicus, a 24-year-old college student.

Kurcikevicus said the group was friendly, at first joking that Roethlisberger wasn't the NFL player. Kurcikevicus said Roethlisberger bought shots for him and some other people in the bar: "O-Bombs," a mixture of energy drink and flavored rum.

The student said Roethlisberger got excited at the end of the game, when a Pitt player hit a 3-point shot at the buzzer to win 73-71 and avoid an upset by Providence.

The group later went to The Brick restaurant nearby, owner Frank Pendergrast said.

"He was very polite with everybody," Pendergrast said. "He was down here from about 11:30 until about 1:30 having a good time, talking to a lot of people. Looked like he was signing autographs and letting people take pictures. Other than that, it was really uneventful."

Roethlisberger was later seen at Capital City, a popular nightclub for students at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville. The club was bustling Friday night, with a country band playing and a $20 cover charge.

One patron, 21-year-old college student Brandon Harris, said he saw Roethlisberger come in the night before with two or three big men, who were keeping other club goers away from the quarterback. Harris said the group went into a curtained VIP area in the back of the club, and some women were let inside.

What happened next is under investigation.

Deputy Police Chief Richard Malone said Roethlisberger had been with three other people who were mingling with another group that included the alleged victim. Malone said the woman and her party contacted a nearby police officer following the alleged assault.

"He's been identified as being at the scene, and there are allegations naming him as the perpetrator," Malone said.

Several areas of the nightclub were considered a crime scene, Malone said, but he wouldn't elaborate. The nature of the assault wasn't described, but Malone did say it was being termed a sexual assault, not a rape.

Roethlisberger and the alleged victim were interviewed, and the woman was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released, Malone said.

The woman wasn't identified by police, and The Associated Press doesn't generally identify possible victims of sexual abuse.

Police said Roethlisberger and his attorney were cooperating with investigators. Roethlisberger wasn't in custody and hasn't been charged with a crime.

Roethlisberger's agent, Ryan Tollner, said in a statement that he and his client are skeptical of the motive of the alleged victim in Milledgeville because of the previous Lake Tahoe allegations.

"Last night, Ben and his friends met a group of women and everyone mingled together throughout the evening," the agent's statement said. "We have spoken to law enforcement. Based on information currently available, an allegation was made against Ben, which appeared to be dismissed after a preliminary investigation last night. Obviously, given the prior accusation against Ben, we are skeptical of motive, but we will continue to cooperate with everyone involved."

Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett said the team was gathering information and had no more comment.

A first-round draft pick out of Miami of Ohio in 2004, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to Super Bowl victories in 2006 and 2009. But he has had his share of problems off the field.

Roethlisberger's previous accuser was working as a VIP hostess at Harrah's Lake Tahoe in July 2008 when she alleges the quarterback lured her to his room under false pretenses and forced himself on her. Roethlisberger was in town playing in a celebrity golf tournament.

Roethlisberger maintains the woman acted voluntarily at all times while in his room. Roethlisberger's lawyers have said the fact that she never filed a formal criminal complaint with police is proof she made up the story to try to secure a big payout from the NFL star.

The woman's lawsuit seeks at least $440,000 from Roethlisberger and at least $50,000 from Harrah's, claiming they conspired to cover up the incident.

Roethlisberger broke his jaw and several other facial bones in 2006 when he got into a motorcycle crash while driving without a valid license

Just a Joke, Big Ben going to the State Pen

breesfan27 · 03-06-2010, 11:46 PM

AGAIN?!?! Geez! Big Ben can't catch a break for anything, can he?!

SAINT_MICHAEL · 03-09-2010, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by breesfan27

AGAIN?!?! Geez! Big Ben can't catch a break for anything, can he?!

Can't catch a break? You're joking, right? The guy has caught huge breaks by being gifted enough to play in the NFL and to get drafted by the team he did (do you think he has the same success if drafted by the Lions?). This is multiple times now. The dude needs to wise up.

saintsfan1976 · 03-09-2010, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by SAINT_MICHAEL

Can't catch a break? You're joking, right? The guy has caught huge breaks by being gifted enough to play in the NFL and to get drafted by the team he did (do you think he has the same success if drafted by the Lions?). This is multiple times now. The dude needs to wise up.

Or the other 2 sexual assault cases he beat....

breesfan27 · 03-09-2010, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by SAINT_MICHAEL

Can't catch a break? You're joking, right? The guy has caught huge breaks by being gifted enough to play in the NFL and to get drafted by the team he did (do you think he has the same success if drafted by the Lions?). This is multiple times now. The dude needs to wise up.

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. If you want to throw me in front of the firing squad, that's your problem. But nobody knows what really happened except for Ben and the girl involved. Being a woman, I know how most girls are in situations like this. All they see is a payoff! If they can get the guy to settle out of court, they walk away with fat pockets! AGAIN, I'm not saying he did do it or didn't do it, but you can never be too sure anymore what some people's intentions are. For all we know, this b*tch probably led him on and when she didn't get what she wanted out of him, she cried 'rape.' Then again, he could have overstepped his boundaries, and played the 'I'm a famous athlete, have sex with me' card. NOBODY KNOWS! I'm just stating that athletes in this position are automatically looked at as the bad guys whether they are guilty or not.

saintsfan1976 · 03-12-2010, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by breesfan27

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. If you want to throw me in front of the firing squad, that's your problem. But nobody knows what really happened except for Ben and the girl involved. Being a woman, I know how most girls are in situations like this. All they see is a payoff! If they can get the guy to settle out of court, they walk away with fat pockets! AGAIN, I'm not saying he did do it or didn't do it, but you can never be too sure anymore what some people's intentions are. For all we know, this b*tch probably led him on and when she didn't get what she wanted out of him, she cried 'rape.' Then again, he could have overstepped his boundaries, and played the 'I'm a famous athlete, have sex with me' card. NOBODY KNOWS! I'm just stating that athletes in this position are automatically looked at as the bad guys whether they are guilty or not.

While I agree with your assessment of certain women "targeting" pros, at what point - and after how many "accusations" - do you hold the pro accountable? Are they all just cases of conniving women out to get him OR is Ben just too dumb to keep himself from getting into trouble with underage, drunk, women...?

I mean the guy is almost 30, has multiple championships and still can't stay out of college bars.

Vick and Pacman's biggest problems were the people they surrounded themselves with. To an extent, Ben is no different than they are.

Tobias-Reiper · 03-12-2010, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by breesfan27

Being a woman, I know how most girls are in situations like this... For all we know, this b*tch probably led him on and when she didn't get what she wanted out of him, she cried 'rape.'

Is there some hidden issue here we don't know about? I mean, saying you know most girls will go for a payoff, and calling the accuser a *****...

SAINT_MICHAEL · 03-12-2010, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by breesfan27

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. If you want to throw me in front of the firing squad, that's your problem. But nobody knows what really happened except for Ben and the girl involved. Being a woman, I know how most girls are in situations like this. All they see is a payoff! If they can get the guy to settle out of court, they walk away with fat pockets! AGAIN, I'm not saying he did do it or didn't do it, but you can never be too sure anymore what some people's intentions are. For all we know, this b*tch probably led him on and when she didn't get what she wanted out of him, she cried 'rape.' Then again, he could have overstepped his boundaries, and played the 'I'm a famous athlete, have sex with me' card. NOBODY KNOWS! I'm just stating that athletes in this position are automatically looked at as the bad guys whether they are guilty or not.

So what does this have to do with him "Catching a Break"? I'm not saying he did or did not do it either. I'm saying that as a famous, rich sports figure he is stupid to put himself in a postion where this could happen to him again. If he is dumb enough to be placed in a situation where a 20 year old he meets in a bar has any chance of accusing him of this, then he gets what he deserves. He did it to himself. Breaks or bad luck have nothing to do with it. It's called maturity.

QBREES9 · 03-07-2010, 03:07 PM

They are walking targets aren't they.

saintsfan1976 · 03-08-2010, 08:05 AM

Okay does trouble follow this guy or what?

I understand that high profile players are "targets", but when do we start to question the player instead of the charges?

Big Ben is closing in fast on Pacman's reputation.

03-06-2010, 11:39 PM	#1
QBREES9 Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Haven Ct Posts: 23,989	Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia Associated Press MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's night of bar-hopping in a central Georgia college town ended with a new allegation against him after a 20-year-old college student told police that he sexually assaulted her in a nightclub. The two-time Super Bowl winner already faces a lawsuit from a woman who claims Roethlisberger raped her in 2008 at a Lake Tahoe hotel and casino, an allegation he strongly denies. Roethlisberger hasn't been charged in either case. Ben Roethlisberger has led the Steelers to two Super Bowl titles, but he has experienced off-the-field troubles. The latest accusation came early Friday in downtown Milledgeville, about 85 miles southeast of Atlanta and about 30 miles south of the lake home that Roethlisberger owns. Roethlisberger, who turned 28 on Tuesday, and two or three friends went to Buffington's bar earlier Thursday night to watch the University of Pittsburgh men's college basketball game, said Paul Kurcikevicus, a 24-year-old college student. Kurcikevicus said the group was friendly, at first joking that Roethlisberger wasn't the NFL player. Kurcikevicus said Roethlisberger bought shots for him and some other people in the bar: "O-Bombs," a mixture of energy drink and flavored rum. The student said Roethlisberger got excited at the end of the game, when a Pitt player hit a 3-point shot at the buzzer to win 73-71 and avoid an upset by Providence. The group later went to The Brick restaurant nearby, owner Frank Pendergrast said. "He was very polite with everybody," Pendergrast said. "He was down here from about 11:30 until about 1:30 having a good time, talking to a lot of people. Looked like he was signing autographs and letting people take pictures. Other than that, it was really uneventful." Roethlisberger was later seen at Capital City, a popular nightclub for students at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville. The club was bustling Friday night, with a country band playing and a $20 cover charge. One patron, 21-year-old college student Brandon Harris, said he saw Roethlisberger come in the night before with two or three big men, who were keeping other club goers away from the quarterback. Harris said the group went into a curtained VIP area in the back of the club, and some women were let inside. What happened next is under investigation. Deputy Police Chief Richard Malone said Roethlisberger had been with three other people who were mingling with another group that included the alleged victim. Malone said the woman and her party contacted a nearby police officer following the alleged assault. "He's been identified as being at the scene, and there are allegations naming him as the perpetrator," Malone said. Several areas of the nightclub were considered a crime scene, Malone said, but he wouldn't elaborate. The nature of the assault wasn't described, but Malone did say it was being termed a sexual assault, not a rape. Roethlisberger and the alleged victim were interviewed, and the woman was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released, Malone said. The woman wasn't identified by police, and The Associated Press doesn't generally identify possible victims of sexual abuse. Police said Roethlisberger and his attorney were cooperating with investigators. Roethlisberger wasn't in custody and hasn't been charged with a crime. Roethlisberger's agent, Ryan Tollner, said in a statement that he and his client are skeptical of the motive of the alleged victim in Milledgeville because of the previous Lake Tahoe allegations. "Last night, Ben and his friends met a group of women and everyone mingled together throughout the evening," the agent's statement said. "We have spoken to law enforcement. Based on information currently available, an allegation was made against Ben, which appeared to be dismissed after a preliminary investigation last night. Obviously, given the prior accusation against Ben, we are skeptical of motive, but we will continue to cooperate with everyone involved." Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett said the team was gathering information and had no more comment. A first-round draft pick out of Miami of Ohio in 2004, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to Super Bowl victories in 2006 and 2009. But he has had his share of problems off the field. Roethlisberger's previous accuser was working as a VIP hostess at Harrah's Lake Tahoe in July 2008 when she alleges the quarterback lured her to his room under false pretenses and forced himself on her. Roethlisberger was in town playing in a celebrity golf tournament. Roethlisberger maintains the woman acted voluntarily at all times while in his room. Roethlisberger's lawyers have said the fact that she never filed a formal criminal complaint with police is proof she made up the story to try to secure a big payout from the NFL star. The woman's lawsuit seeks at least $440,000 from Roethlisberger and at least $50,000 from Harrah's, claiming they conspired to cover up the incident. Roethlisberger broke his jaw and several other facial bones in 2006 when he got into a motorcycle crash while driving without a valid license Just a Joke, Big Ben going to the State Pen
	www.sportsshooter.com/johnjcoleman " Anyone can take a picture Only a Photographer can take a photograph "

03-06-2010, 11:46 PM	#2
breesfan27 Mrs. Drew Brees Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: The Who Dat Nation (by way of South Dakota) Posts: 2,276 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia AGAIN?!?! Geez! Big Ben can't catch a break for anything, can he?!

03-09-2010, 03:55 PM	#3
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446	Re: Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia Originally Posted by breesfan27 AGAIN?!?! Geez! Big Ben can't catch a break for anything, can he?! Can't catch a break? You're joking, right? The guy has caught huge breaks by being gifted enough to play in the NFL and to get drafted by the team he did (do you think he has the same success if drafted by the Lions?). This is multiple times now. The dude needs to wise up.
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446

03-09-2010, 04:27 PM	#4
saintsfan1976 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Atlanta Posts: 10,991 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia Originally Posted by SAINT_MICHAEL Can't catch a break? You're joking, right? The guy has caught huge breaks by being gifted enough to play in the NFL and to get drafted by the team he did (do you think he has the same success if drafted by the Lions?). This is multiple times now. The dude needs to wise up. Or the other 2 sexual assault cases he beat....

03-09-2010, 07:26 PM	#5
breesfan27 Mrs. Drew Brees Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: The Who Dat Nation (by way of South Dakota) Posts: 2,276 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia Originally Posted by SAINT_MICHAEL Can't catch a break? You're joking, right? The guy has caught huge breaks by being gifted enough to play in the NFL and to get drafted by the team he did (do you think he has the same success if drafted by the Lions?). This is multiple times now. The dude needs to wise up. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. If you want to throw me in front of the firing squad, that's your problem. But nobody knows what really happened except for Ben and the girl involved. Being a woman, I know how most girls are in situations like this. All they see is a payoff! If they can get the guy to settle out of court, they walk away with fat pockets! AGAIN, I'm not saying he did do it or didn't do it, but you can never be too sure anymore what some people's intentions are. For all we know, this b*tch probably led him on and when she didn't get what she wanted out of him, she cried 'rape.' Then again, he could have overstepped his boundaries, and played the 'I'm a famous athlete, have sex with me' card. NOBODY KNOWS! I'm just stating that athletes in this position are automatically looked at as the bad guys whether they are guilty or not.
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03-12-2010, 09:57 AM	#6
saintsfan1976 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Atlanta Posts: 10,991 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia Originally Posted by breesfan27 I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. If you want to throw me in front of the firing squad, that's your problem. But nobody knows what really happened except for Ben and the girl involved. Being a woman, I know how most girls are in situations like this. All they see is a payoff! If they can get the guy to settle out of court, they walk away with fat pockets! AGAIN, I'm not saying he did do it or didn't do it, but you can never be too sure anymore what some people's intentions are. For all we know, this b*tch probably led him on and when she didn't get what she wanted out of him, she cried 'rape.' Then again, he could have overstepped his boundaries, and played the 'I'm a famous athlete, have sex with me' card. NOBODY KNOWS! I'm just stating that athletes in this position are automatically looked at as the bad guys whether they are guilty or not. While I agree with your assessment of certain women "targeting" pros, at what point - and after how many "accusations" - do you hold the pro accountable? Are they all just cases of conniving women out to get him OR is Ben just too dumb to keep himself from getting into trouble with underage, drunk, women...? I mean the guy is almost 30, has multiple championships and still can't stay out of college bars. Vick and Pacman's biggest problems were the people they surrounded themselves with. To an extent, Ben is no different than they are.

03-12-2010, 01:44 PM	#7
Tobias-Reiper Merces Letifer Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 4,161	Re: Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia Originally Posted by breesfan27 Being a woman, I know how most girls are in situations like this... For all we know, this btch probably led him on and when she didn't get what she wanted out of him, she cried 'rape.' Is there some hidden issue here we don't know about? I mean, saying you know most* girls will go for a payoff, and calling the accuser a *****...

03-12-2010, 02:05 PM	#8
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446	Re: Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia Originally Posted by breesfan27 I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. If you want to throw me in front of the firing squad, that's your problem. But nobody knows what really happened except for Ben and the girl involved. Being a woman, I know how most girls are in situations like this. All they see is a payoff! If they can get the guy to settle out of court, they walk away with fat pockets! AGAIN, I'm not saying he did do it or didn't do it, but you can never be too sure anymore what some people's intentions are. For all we know, this b*tch probably led him on and when she didn't get what she wanted out of him, she cried 'rape.' Then again, he could have overstepped his boundaries, and played the 'I'm a famous athlete, have sex with me' card. NOBODY KNOWS! I'm just stating that athletes in this position are automatically looked at as the bad guys whether they are guilty or not. So what does this have to do with him "Catching a Break"? I'm not saying he did or did not do it either. I'm saying that as a famous, rich sports figure he is stupid to put himself in a postion where this could happen to him again. If he is dumb enough to be placed in a situation where a 20 year old he meets in a bar has any chance of accusing him of this, then he gets what he deserves. He did it to himself. Breaks or bad luck have nothing to do with it. It's called maturity.
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446

03-07-2010, 03:07 PM	#9
QBREES9 Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Haven Ct Posts: 23,989	Re: Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia They are walking targets aren't they.

03-08-2010, 08:05 AM	#10
saintsfan1976 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Atlanta Posts: 10,991 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Steelers QB Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault in Georgia Okay does trouble follow this guy or what? I understand that high profile players are "targets", but when do we start to question the player instead of the charges? Big Ben is closing in fast on Pacman's reputation.