PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh-area law enforcement looked into the June 2017 sexual assault allegation against Antonio Brown but won’t be prosecuting the All-Pro receiver due to statute of limitations.
A detective contacted Britney Taylor’s lawyer after her lawsuit against Brown became public last week, a source told ESPN, but since the allegation is more than two years old, there won’t be an investigation.
“Our office, along with the Allegheny County Police Department, made contact with counsel for the plaintiff in the federal lawsuit involving Antonio Brown,” the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office told ESPN in a statement. “Procedurally, it appears there is a statute of limitations issue in moving forward with any inquiry involving the Allegheny County allegation mentioned in the lawsuit.”
Taylor’s lawsuit says that Brown — in three separate incidents, two in June 2017 and another in May 2018 — sexually assaulted the former gymnast whom he met while they were attending Central Michigan together and whom he later hired as a trainer. One of the alleged 2017 incidents happened in Pittsburgh, where Brown played for the Steelers for nine seasons. The others allegedly took place in Florida.
The NFL is investigating the matter and has interviewed Taylor, though it remains unclear when or if Brown will interview with the league.
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Chris Mortensen explains that Britney Taylor is meeting with the NFL on Monday and the league will determine if it continues the investigation against Antonio Brown.
ESPN first reported that Brown and Taylor entered into confidential discussions months before the lawsuit surfaced last week, but the New England Patriots wouldn’t have known about the situation unless confidentiality was breached. ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported those discussions included a $2 million settlement offer that Brown declined.
Brown made his season debut with the Patriots in Miami on Sunday. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday that Brown was not placed on the commissioner’s exempt list because there is no criminal investigation into the wide receiver.
Brown’s lawyer, Darren Heitner, said in a statement last week that his client and Taylor were involved in a “consensual personal relationship.”