Former NFL Player Darren Sharper Appears in Court for Drug Rape Case

In addition to the Los Angeles case, Sharper is suspected of raping women in three states

A former NFL football player and sports commentator appeared in court Friday to face allegations that he drugged and raped at least two women he met at a west Los Angeles nightclub.

Investigators said Darren Sharper met two women at West Hollywood nightclub Bootsy Bellows on Oct. 30, 2013, and invited them to a party. On the way there, Sharper invited both women to his Los Angeles hotel room, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

The women were offered a shot of alcohol and passed out, investigators said. One woman woke up hours later to Sharper allegedly sexually assaulting her. The second woman woke up and interrupted the assault, the motion states.

Sharper met two different women at the same West Hollywood nightclub on Jan. 14 and invited them to a party. Investigators said he invited them to his hotel room on the way to the party and offered them a drink. One woman believed she was sexually assaulted after passing out and waking up the next day.

Both women left the hotel and sought medical help, investigators said.

In both instances, Sharper is suspected of drugging shots of alcohol with morphine and ambien.

Sharper has been charged with two counts of rape by use of drugs, four counts of furnishing a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested Jan. 17 and released on $200,000 bail.

Prosecutors want Sharper's bail be raised to $10 million because the Miami resident is suspected of raping women in Nevada, Louisiana and Arizona.

"It doesn’t matter who this is, anybody who is going to commit this type of crime, it doesn’t matter who they are, we're gonna go after you and we're gonna make sure we get justice for these young ladies that were victims of this crime," Tempe Police Sgt. Mike Pooley said.

In total, Sharper is accused of drugging 11 women in four states, and raping seven of them.

Sharper's Friday arraignment and bail motion hearing were continued to Feb. 20.

A judge ordered Sharper to stay away from the nightclub Bootsy Bellows and to stay in Los Angeles Friday.

If convicted in the Los Angeles case, Sharper could face up to 30 years in prison. His lawyer believes her client will be "fully exonerated."

The 38-year-old played for the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and the New Orelans Saints during a 14-year NFL career. 

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