A grand jury in Brazoria County in Texas is contemplating proof associated to a tenth accusation of sexual misconduct towards Deshaun Watson, the previous Houston Texans quarterback who was traded to the Cleveland Browns simply days in the past, in keeping with a lawyer for the complainant.
A grand jury in Harris County, Texas, the place Houston is, rejected 9 prison circumstances towards Watson earlier this month. However a tenth prison grievance filed with the Houston Police Division described an alleged incident outdoors the jurisdiction of the Harris County District Lawyer’s Workplace.
The case, in Brazoria County, south of Houston, is the final prison case pending towards Watson. The complainant informed police that Watson ejaculated on her in a November 2020 therapeutic massage appointment. Her lawyer, Tony Buzbee, stated he expects the grand jury to deliberate and subject a choice on Thursday or Friday. Neither the Browns nor Rusty Hardin, Watson’s lawyer, had been instantly accessible for remark.
The newest grand jury continuing was first reported by Fox 8 WJW in Cleveland.
The publicly accessible police report was closely redacted however stated that the complainant informed police that Watson “touched her along with his penis and ejaculated inflicting semen to the touch her arm and hand.”
The complainant, whose identify was redacted within the prison grievance, is among the 22 plaintiffs who’re suing Watson in civil courtroom for sexual misconduct throughout therapeutic massage appointments.
Watson has denied all wrongdoing, and Hardin has stated that any sexual acts that occurred throughout therapeutic massage appointments had been consensual.
After the grand jury in Harris County declined to carry fees on March 11, Hardin stated in an announcement that “the prison investigations have been accomplished.” N.F.L. groups seen the choice in Harris County as a inexperienced mild to pursue Watson through commerce, and the Browns gave Watson a assured five-year, $230 million contract, a report for a assured deal. They structured the deal to mitigate Watson’s monetary penalty if the N.F.L. suspends him for a violation of its personal-conduct coverage by setting his 2022 base wage at simply over $1 million, minimizing every potential missed sport test.
The Browns stated in an announcement on Sunday that they undertook a “complete analysis course of” earlier than buying and selling for Watson and did “intensive” investigative, authorized and reference work. The assertion acknowledged that “some authorized proceedings” had been nonetheless ongoing, however it was unclear whether or not the Browns had been conscious {that a} case can be introduced earlier than the Brazoria County grand jury this week.
The N.F.L.’s investigation into the allegations towards Watson is ongoing. An individual who recognized himself as a safety consultant for the N.F.L. requested info from the Houston Police Division on March 15, together with witness statements and telephone data or social-media messages, and likewise requested for interviews with the police investigators who labored the case, in keeping with police data.
Watson invoked his Fifth Modification proper towards self-incrimination in civil depositions given earlier than the choice by the Harris County grand jury, however waived that proper and answered questions beneath oath in depositions final week and this week, Buzbee stated.
Earlier than the take care of the Browns, Watson additionally met with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints final week.
Kevin Draper contributed reporting.
