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Former NBA player Ben McLemore has been arrested for rape charges dating back to 2021 when he was still actively playing with the Portland Trail Blazers.
McLemore was taken into custody by law enforcement authorities at Portland International Airport. The 31-year-old has been playing internationally for the past years and his most recent gig was in Spain. He now faces allegations including rape, unlawful sexual penetration and two counts of sexual abuse.
According to The Sacramento Bee, a woman alleges she was assaulted at a Lake Oswego home back in October 2021. McLemore moved out of state during the investigation, which led to delays. A Clackamas County grand jury issued an indictment in February.
The police provided the following statement:
"We applaud the courage of the survivor to come forward and put herself through this arduous process, and we will continue to support her in any way we can."
Ben McLemore was held in custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center before being moved to Clackamas County Jail. A bail of $500,000 was set, along with a requirement to post $50,000. The next hearing is set for July 1 in Oregon.
Ben McLemore has previous trouble with the authorities
Ben McLemore was in trouble with authorities for driving under the influence in Lugo, Spain in March, where he suited up for CB Rio Breogan.
In a public statement, the former Kansas Jayhawk expressed regret and pledged to learn from the incident:
“I have made a mistake that I am not proud of. Now, more than ever, my wish is to continue helping my teammates and the club, learn from this mistake, and set the right example for all those who believe in me, especially for the little ones.
"For this reason, I sincerely apologize and I ask that no one doubt that I will give my best, personally and professionally, to help achieve the goals that we all want.”
Ben McLemore last played in the NBA back in 2022 for the Portland Trail Blazers. Since then, he took his skills abroad playing for the Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin in China and AEK Athens in Greece before playing in Spain.
