Darren Sharper was formally charged with raping and drugging two women on Friday in a Los Angeles court. That may only be the start of it. The two charges that were filed are only a portion of a complaint that names Sharper as a suspect in seven rapes and 11 acts of drugging someone in four different states.
We already knew that Sharper had been accused of sexual assault in Louisiana in addition to the charges he faces stemming from two alleged encounters with women in LA. The filing from Friday also revealed the analysis from the rape kit used in the Louisiana case and noted that the alleged victim reported she blacked out after taking a drink from Sharper.
Sharper claims to have a video that proves sex with the woman from New Orleans was consensual. His California attorney, Blair Berk, expressed optimism that the former New Orleans Saints safety’s name will be cleared.
“We look forward to the true facts being revealed in this case and we are hopeful that Mr. Sharper will be fully exonerated before this case is concluded,” Berk said, per Naomi Martin of The Times-Picayune.
While it should be noted that Sharper is innocent until proven guilty, the similarity between all the cases is disturbing. In addition to the two women from LA and one from New Orleans, Sharper has also been accused of raping two women at his Las Vegas hotel suite and two other women in an Arizona apartment. The Times-Picayune highlights some of the details of the accusations.
In each case, the alleged victims recall being given a drink by Sharper and finding themselves incapacitated in some way shortly thereafter. The cups Sharper allegedly gave the women in the LA incidents tested positive for morphine and zolpidem, which are ingredients in the sleep medication Ambien.
One thing’s for sure: Sharper’s attorneys have a lot of work to do in the coming months.
