Ravens Head Of Security In Court On Sex Assault Allegations
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- On trial. The Baltimore Ravens head of security is in court. Darren Sanders is pleading not guilty to groping a stadium worker.
Alex DeMetrick reports the alleged assault took place at M&T Bank Stadium.
Darren Sanders is facing a charge of fourth-degree sexual assault. Meanwhile, the jury is facing two very different versions of the story.
On December 14, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. Following the game, staff met with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti in his private suite.
As chief of security, Darren Sanders was there.
When he left, he crossed paths with a cleaning crew supervisor. She claimed Sanders repeatedly fondled her buttocks, kissed her and then tried to force her hand onto his genitals.
Sanders' lawyer is fighting those allegations.
"Mr. Sanders didn't do this, and we're going to make that clear to the jury," said Andrew Alperstein, Sanders' lawyer.
In the courtroom, the woman said Sanders appeared to be going the wrong way to reach the lot where his car was parked. She says she walked him around part of the stadium to the right elevator when he "went from friendly to creepy and became physical."
The defense is working to challenge that version, saying the woman made the advances, asking Sanders for his phone number. When he refused, the defense says she became "aggrieved."
"We're going to cause doubt in the case," said Alperstein. "The accusations in this case are unsubstantiated, they're uncorroborated and we're going to show that through the trial."
During the defense cross examination, the woman stuck to her story. Meanwhile, Darren Sanders, who aided the NFL in its investigation of Ray Rice, is now himself under investigation by the league.
The lawyers informed the judge that Sanders' trial will take four days.
