Las Vegas prosecutors will not file sexual assault charges against Cristiano Ronaldo, TMZ reports.
According to the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, they will not prosecute Ronaldo for allegedly raping a female fan in Las Vegas because "the allegations of sexual assault against Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt."
The incident in question took place in 2009. The accuser, Kathryn Mayorga, claims she met Ronaldo at Rain Nightclub in the Palms Hotel. Mayorga then says the soccer superstar invited her to his room to party. While changing her clothes to get into the hot tub, Mayorga claims that Ronaldo asked her to perform oral sex. When she declined, he then "pulled [her] into a bedroom and onto a bed and attempted to engage in sexual intercourse." Although she tried to fight him off, Mayorga alleges that Ronaldo forced her on her side and sodomized her.
Initially, Mayorga filed a lawsuit against Ronaldo. This resulted in a $375,000 settlement and her silence on the matter. But, she has since reneged on the offer prompting an investigation into the matter. After learning of Mayorga's intentions, Ronaldo went on record to "firmly deny" her accusations.
"Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in," Ronaldo said in response to the claims. "Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense."
Once an investigation by the local authorities was completed, it was found that Mayorga did not present enough evidence to prove the rape occurred. As a result, they've decided not to move forward with her case. Mayorga's case now moves to civil court where she's filed a new lawsuit against Ronaldo regarding the incident.
