x
Breaking News
More () »

Gareon Conley picked by Raiders amid sexual assault accusation

Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the No. 24 overall pick in the first round of Thursday's NFL draft amid an unresolved sexual assault accusation.

 

Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the No. 24 overall pick in the first round of Thursday's NFL draft amid an unresolved sexual assault accusation.

No charges have been filed against Conley, though the investigation remains open Cleveland Division of Police Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit. Conley is set to meet with police Monday to provide a DNA sample.

A police report said the woman (USA TODAY Sports does not name the alleged victims of sexual assault) met Conley in an elevator hotel April 9 and left her friends to join him in his room, where she alleged Conley pulled down her pants and began to have sex with her and she told him, “no stop, it hurts!"

Two witnesses in the hotel room, which was in Conley’s name, told police that an assault did not occur.

Conley said Wednesday that "I did not commit a crime" and maintained he would eventually be cleared.

"I pride myself on doing things the right way on and off the field," Conley said in a statement sent to USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday. "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."

Conley had been seen as a potential early first-round draft pick prior to the accusation. He was initially one of the 22 players invited to attend the draft in Philadelphia but later opted not to attend the event, saying he did not want to be a "distraction" in light of the allegations.

Before You Leave, Check This Out