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Former Philadelphia Eagles tackle Kevin Allen raped a woman...

By MICHELE DIGIROLAMO

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Former Philadelphia Eagles tackle Kevin Allen raped a woman on a beach on Labor Day while his roommate beat the woman's companion unconscious, the roommate has charged.

Scott Cartwright, 25, implicated Allen, the Eagles' 1985 first-round draft choice, in the pre-dawn sexual attack when Cartwright pleaded guilty Wednesday in Atlantic County Superior Court and agreed to testify against Allen.

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It initially appeared that Allen, 23, also would plead guilty as his defense attorney and the prosecutor huddled for several hours immediately following Cartwright's surprise guilty plea. However, the meeting ended several hours later and jury selection began for Allen's trial.

Lawyers on both sides refused to confirm plea negotiations had occurred. Jury selection was scheduled to continue today, and the trial was expected to begin Monday.

Allen and Cartwright, former roommates in a Cherry Hill, N.J., condominium, were accused of raping a Massachusetts woman on a Margate, N.J., beach Sept. 1 and of beating the woman's male companion unconscious.

Cartwright, a former teacher, admitted Wednesday to one count of aggravated assault and one count of acting as an accomplice to aggravated sexual contact.

'We didn't plan on this thing. ... to go down the beach, to commit or hurt anybody,' Cartwright said in entering his plea. 'We were running on the beach and it just happened.'

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The 6-foot-5 Allen was cut by the Eagles the week before his arrest in October. The NFL team has said the decision to release the former Indiana University star was unrelated to the incident.

Cartwright, who will be sentenced March 20, faces up to seven years in prison under the terms of the plea agreement. If convicted on all charges originally filed against him, including robbery and aggravated sexual assault, he could have received more than 50 years.

Cartwright said he and Allen were running along the beach in the dark early on Labor Day after 'drinking all night' and came upon the 31-year-old woman and her companion, Joseph Milone, 25, of Philadelphia, apparently making love.

The two men identified themselves as beach patrol officers and, when Milone jumped up, 'that's when I committed bodily harm to him, serious bodily harm,' Cartwright said in a barely audible voice.

'I ... turned to look around and saw two figures to my left, being the woman and Kevin Allen committing sexual assault to her against her will,' he said.

Cartwright said he heard the woman say, 'I will do anything you say.' Allen told Cartwright to keep Milone pinned down, Cartwright said.

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'I understood I was assisting, abbetting him in the sexual act,' Cartwright said. 'I kicked (Milone) several times. I used my elbows. It's just one of those things. After I did it, I knew I shouldn't have done it, but I was drinking all night.'

Cartwright's $50,000 bond was discharged and he was taken into custody to await sentencing.

'He is very remorseful and he seriously regrets what happened,' said Cartwright's lawyer, Charles Blumenstein.

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