SAN FRANCISCO - SEPTEMBER 15: Dana Stubblefield #94 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates on the field during the game against the Denver Broncos at Candlestick Park on September 15, 2002 in San Francisco, California. The Broncos won 24-14. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Dana Stubblefield, former 49er’s first-round pick and three-time All-Pro, was convicted of sexual assault on Monday following a nine-month trial and a five-year legal process after the assault was reported in 2015. Stubblefield, 49, could face 15 years to life in prison. He has had run-ins with the law in the past including mail fraud, but this is a much more disturbing entry into the ex-players’ troubled history. The victim of the crime was developmentally disabled, and Stubblefield lured her into his home under the pretense of a babysitting job.
The jury found Stubblefield guilty of rape by force, oral copulation by force and false imprisonment and acquitted him of raping a person incapable of giving consent. The prosecution commented on the outcome of the trial: “This was a triumph of resilience. The victim has struggled her whole life with learning disabilities and challenges to be self-sufficient. If we are not fighting for her, then who are we fighting for?”
The defense promised to appeal the decision and seek another trial.
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