Ravens’ Justin Tucker accused of sexual misconduct by six massage therapists

Ravens’ Justin Tucker accused of sexual misconduct by six massage therapists

Justin Tucker has played all 13 of his season in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Justin Tucker has played all 13 of his season in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Content Warning: This story contains depictions of alleged inappropriate sexual behavior

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior at four Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers, according to the Baltimore Banner.

Six massage therapists accuse Tucker of “exposing his genitals, brushing two of them with his exposed penis, and leaving what they believed to be ejaculate on the massage table after three of his treatments.”

Some of the therapists ended sessions early and refused to deal with Tucker again following their encounters, which occurred between 2012 and 2016.

“Five of the women said Tucker asked them to massage his pelvic region or inner thighs while he had an erection. Then they said he repeatedly wiggled his pelvis to remove the sheets, which fully or partially exposed his genitals. Two women said Tucker brushed them with his exposed penis. Three said, when they returned to the treatment room after Tucker left, they discovered a large wet spot on the massage table, which they strongly believed to be ejaculate.”

Tucker, 35, signed with the Ravens in May 2012 as an undrafted free agent. He’s only played for the Ravens during his 13-season NFL career.

A representative of a local spa said that Tucker was “immediately terminated as a client” after an alleged 2014 incident. One of the therapists said that she had told people about her encounters with the Ravens kicker “over the years” and that it was “really degrading.”

An attorney for a different spa, which is now closed, said that they “took immediate and decisive action to ban this individual from our business and services to ensure a safe environment for all.” The owner told Tucker by phone that he was not welcome back, according to the lawyer.

Tucker posted a statement on social media Thursday denying the allegations, calling them “unequivocally false.”

Tucker’s attorneys described the allegations as “impossible to prove.” They added that their client has never been banned from the spas where the encounters are alleged to have happened.

“Mr. Tucker has never behaved inappropriately during any massage therapy session, and certainly never in the manner described [by the Banner],” the lawyers said. “Any suggestion to the contrary is a fictitious and utterly baseless claim.”

“We first became aware of the allegations from the reporter investigating this story as they were not previously shared with the NFL,” said a league spokesman in a statement. “We take any allegation seriously and will look into the matter.”

Said one of the therapists who Tucker allegedly was inappropriate with, “I can’t watch sports anymore. I see his face everywhere.”

These allegations were not brought to law enforcement, according to the women, and legal experts who spoke to the Banner say that the statute of limitations has expired. The NFL could still step in and punish Tucker should the league choose to investigate. Behavior that “undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL” is prohibited under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

The NFL suspended Cleveland Browns quarterback DeShaun Watson 11 games and was fined him $5 million after 24 women accused him in civil action of varying degrees of sexual assault and sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions.

#Ravens #Justin #Tucker #accused #sexual #misconduct #massage #therapists

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *