Football great Lawrence Taylor arrested for rape
Former National Football League great Lawrence Taylor has been arrested as part of a rape probe in a New York suburb, the state police department added.
The rape allegedly occurred early on Thursday morning at a hotel in Montebello, New York, about 25 miles, 40 km north of New York City, Ramapo police said in a statement.
"Formal charges will be filed upon the completion of our investigation," the statement revealed
The victim was a 16-year-old runaway who was brought by a pimp to the hotel where Taylor was staying, according to Ramapo police. "The investigation indicates that Mr. Taylor engaged in sexual intercourse with a child less than 17, for which he paid the victim three hundred dollars. The Supervisor mentioned the victim, alleged to be 16 years of age, she was reported missing to the New York City Police Department in March of this year," Ramapo Police Chief Peter Brower told reporters.
At the arraignment later on Thursday, Taylor's defence attorney, Arthur Aidala said the sports star should be released. Outside the court, when the arraignment was over, Aidala simply told reporters:
"He is charged with rape. Lawrence Taylor did not rape anybody. Am I clear?" the lawyer jumped to his clinet’s defence when pushed for answers on his personal life adding that.
"He has not touched any drugs in over a dozen years. He is clean, clean, clean. That life is over. That's the old Lawrence Taylor. This is the new Lawrence Taylor. All he wants to do is get back to Florida, be with his wife, have myself and his legal team fight this, put this episode behind him as well," Taylor, 51, was one of the most dominating defensive players in the history of the National Football League, playing for the New York Giants from 1981 to 1993.
An All-Pro in each of his first nine seasons, the second overall draft pick out of the University of North Carolina was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times and was league MVP in 1986, the season that produced the first of two Super Bowl titles he won with the Giants.
Admired on the gridiron for his strength, speed and ability to rush the quarterback, Taylor was troubled off the field by drug and alcohol problems.
The rape allegations are another addition to the troubles faced by the star. During his playing days the player was suspended by the league several times for drug use and following his retirement as a player was arrested in 1996 for trying to buy cocaine from undercover police officers.
Taylor has also undergone multiple stints in drug rehabilitation, and re-emerged saying his drug and alcohol problems were in the past and appeared as a sports commentator and actor.
The former defender was arrested for leaving the scene of a road accident in Florida in November.
The NFL Hall of Famer, who owns a home in Pembroke Pines, Florida, also took part in the series “Dancing with stars” produced by ABC television for eight long seasons.
Taylor was renowned for his endearing quips throughout his playing career, and once wished that the generations to follow won’t have to tread on the same rough path that he has during his stint in the NFL “Hopefully the new breed of kids won't have to go through that hard lesson - my kids, my grandkids, my fans' kids, hopefully they won't have to go through it”.
He also summed up his life in one go once, claiming that “But every day I tell my story, and be comfortable with my story and be comfortable with what I've done, and what I did, and how I am today, it lessens the likelihood it will ever happen.”
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