Former NFL safety Darren Sharper was sentenced to nine years in prison on sexual assault charges after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors in Arizona.
Sharper has been charged with sex crimes in four states. In addition to Arizona, he also faces counts in Louisiana, Nevada and California. He was expected to appear in a Los Angeles court later Monday.
According to the Maricopa County Superior Court, Sharper pleaded guilty to sexual assault and attempted sexual assault. Incarcerated in Los Angeles, he appeared in the Arizona court room via video conference on Monday.
Authorities have said Sharper used sleep drugs to render women unconscious before sexually assaulting them. He was arrested in Los Angeles in January 2014 on suspicion of rape, was indicted on similar charges in Arizona last March and again in New Orleans last December.
Sharper made five Pro Bowl teams in a 14-year NFL career between 1997 and 2010 and was selected to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s. He won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints after the 2009 season and also played for the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.
He was fired last February from his job as an analyst for NFL Network.
[SportsNetwork.com]
