Allegheny Co. DA Stephen Zappala to Investigate Sexual Assault Claim Against Antonio Brown

Allegheny County district attorney Stephen Zappala will investigate the sexual assault allegations levied against former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown late Tuesday evening, according to WTAE.

Brown was accused in a federal lawsuit of raping and sexually assaulting his former colleague and trainer Britney Taylor.

The lawsuit alleges that during a trip Taylor made in June 2017 to one of Brown’s homes in the Pittsburgh area, Brown exposed himself to her and kissed her without consent.

It also alleges another instance of sexual assault and one instance of rape that occurred at one of Brown’s homes in South Florida. The federal lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of Florida.

Through his attorney and agent Drew Rosenhaus, Brown has denied the allegations and has accused Taylor of extortion.

During a press conference on Wednesday, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said that the team has investigated the situation and that Brown will be permitted to practice this week. His status for New England’s game against Miami this Sunday is up in the air.

“Both Antonio and his representatives have made statements and I’m not going to be expanding on any of those,” Belichick said. “They are what they are. We’ve looked into the situation. We’re taking it very seriously, all the way through the organization.”

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL is planning a formal investigation and will speak with Taylor.