2024-07-20 05:00:02
NFL legend and former New York Giants star Lawrence Taylor was arrested in Florida this week and charged again with failing to report a residence change as a sex offender.
The 65-year-old former linebacker was one of the greatest players in the league, but his legacy was tainted with scandal after he was arrested in 2010 on rape and prostitution charges in connection with the assault of a 16-year-old girl.
In that case, he pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute, both misdemeanors, in 2011, NBC Sports reported. He claimed the minor told him she was 19. Ultimately, he avoided jail time but was sentenced to six years’ probation and to register as a sex offender.
Taylor turned himself in to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office in Florida on Wednesday on a felony warrant, the sheriff’s office said. The reason was his failure to report a residence change as a registered sex offender, the Pembroke Pines Police Department said.
Taylor was booked into the main jail in Fort Lauderdale and released on bail on Thursday, the sheriff’s office said.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champ retired following the 1993 season.
He’s had several run-ins with the law. He was busted twice for leaving the scene of an accident, once in 1996 and again in 2009 in Florida.
He was also arrested in 2016 in Florida on suspicion of driving under the influence after the car he was driving sideswiped a police car and struck a motor home.
The most recent incident is not the first time Taylor has been arrested on suspicion of failing to report a residence change as a sex offender. In December 2021, he was arrested in Broward County for this reason and placed in jail for several hours before being released on bond, NBC Miami reported at the time.
Taylor’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, told NBC News on Friday that Taylor will plead not guilty to the new charges.
“As with the previous incident involving the same allegations, Mr. Taylor did not knowingly commit any criminal offense. This situation is a significant misunderstanding,” he said.
“We are confident that, once the prosecutors review the exculpatory evidence demonstrating Mr. Taylor’s innocence, he will once again achieve a favorable outcome,” Eiglarsh added.
