Former San Francisco 49er defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield denied charges that he raped a developmentally disabled woman at his Morgan Hill home in April 2015.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced May 2, 2016 that it charged Stubblefield, 45, with five felony counts related to the alleged rape. He is accused of assaulting the woman, 31 at the time, on April 9, 2015. Stubblefield asked the woman to come to his home to interview for a babysitter job, according to authorities.
Stubblefield said in a press conference May 3, a day after he made bail and was released from jail, that his “encounter” with the woman was consensual. He denied all the charges filed against him.
“I’m here to state without any reservations that I am completely innocent of these allegations,” Stubblefield said in the recorded press conference.
The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year said he has done charity work throughout the Bay Area over the last several years, and has tried to “be part of the Bay Area community.”
“This is an issue that’s very close to me. One of my primary charities is Special Olympics, something that’s true and dear to my heart. This is why these allegations hurt me so badly,” Stubblefield said. He said he will defend himself against the criminal charges “with all my strength.”
Morgan Hill police arrested Stubblefield May 2, according to Deputy DA Tim McInerny. Stubblefield initially contacted the alleged victim through the website sittercity.com and asked her to visit his home the next day for a job interview.
After a brief interview, the woman left, according to authorities. But Stubblefield called her back and offered her to pay for her time. When she returned, he carried the woman to a room, raped her, forced her to perform oral sex and then gave her $80, according to police reports.
The woman drove straight to the Morgan Hill Police station from Stubblefield’s home to report the incident, authorities said. In the course of the year-long investigation, police say they matched DNA evidence from a rape kit to Stubblefield.
“This was a crime of violence against a vulnerable victim,” McInerny said. “She was looking for a job and she was unconscionably assaulted.”
Stubblefield is charged with one count each of rape by force, violence, duress, menace or fear; rape of a victim incapable of giving consent; oral copulation by force, violence, duress, menace or fear; oral copulation with a person incapable of giving legal consent; and false imprisonment.
His attorney, Ken Rosenfeld, said May 2 that the alleged victim has prior violent criminal convictions for an assault and resisting arrest. Stubblefield’s attorneys added in a May 3 press conference that the woman is not developmentally disabled, and thus was capable of giving consent to the 2015 sexual encounter.
“Dana Stubblefield is being unfairly targeted due to his celebrity and wealth by someone with full motivation to lie,” Rosenfeld said. “Mr. Stubblefield passed a lie detector test with flying colors and will present a full, vigorous defense against these false allegations.”
Attorneys added that Stubblefield knew nothing of the investigation against him until February.
“(The alleged victim) is a sophisticated party who has had multiple contacts with the criminal and civil justice system including criminal convictions in San Benito County. The clear motivation here is money. Mr. Stubblefield is being targeted by this person for his success,” Rosenfeld added.
Stubblefield was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1993 draft, and played for the team until the end of the 1997 season. He then played for the Washington Redskins, then returned to the 49ers for the 2001 and 2002 seasons. He then played for the Oakland Raiders in 2003.
Reporter Jennifer Wadsworth contributed to this report.
