Kobe....Kobe....Kobe

[yxboom]

Basketball Star Kobe Bryant Charged with Rape
By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was charged on Friday with raping a 19-year-old woman at a Colorado resort in a case that has stunned fans and threatened to derail one of the most sensational careers in professional sports.

Bryant proclaimed his innocence in an emotional appearance with his wife at his side, but admitted to adultery with his accuser and said he wished he could "turn back the hands of time."

The 24-year-old superstar was charged with felony sexual assault involving force and "violence" which could send him to jail for from four years to life if convicted.

Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said he was confident that he could prove that Bryant had used "physical force" during an encounter with the alleged victim on June 30 and had inflicted "sexual penetration or intrusion."

Bryant allegedly raped the woman, a concierge at the four-star Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, the night before he had knee surgery at a Vail, Colorado, clinic.

But in a press conference at Staples Center in Los Angeles to respond to the charges, Bryant gripped the hand of his 21-year-old wife, Vanessa as he apologized to her and said he had been falsely accused.

"I'm innocent," he said. "I didn't force her to do anything against her will. I'm innocent."

Speaking haltingly, he continued: "I sit here in front of you guys furious at myself, disgusted at myself for making the mistake of adultery."

Then, turning to his wife and wiping away a tear, he said: "You're a blessing. You're a piece of my heart. You're the air I breathe. And you're the strongest person I know and I'm so sorry for having to put you through this and having to put our family through this."

*For full story go to link

Tragic.

[Epoetker]

At least he didn't go Clintonian on us. Just hope the case shows that this is, in fact, the truth, and not a pre-plea bargain.

[Rusty T]

Why oh Why do professional athletes put themselves in compromising positions. I was listening to Christian radio last week sometime and some ex-athlete who is now a Christian was talking about all the women who threw themselves at players. I imagine the temptations are great. I really, really hope (mainly b/c I like the think the best of people who've not proven themselves bad) that this is a case of false accusation.

I really feel for his wife and family and I have not one ounce of sympathy for him. If he is guilty he should pay the price. If he is falsely accused, he should realize that his actions put him in the position he is now in.

I have no idea what it would be like to be instantly recognizable by just about everybody on the planet, fabulously wealthy, etc. . . Perhaps celebreties need more prayers than they do award ceremonies. God only knows how I would handle so much power.

tizzi

[graceinme]

Sad, truely sad! I would like to hope he didn't do it, but have been let down so many times before from famous people. Fame has a high price.

[ews~]

DENVER (Reuters) - A reluctant judge in the Kobe Bryant rape case on Monday released previously sealed testimony in which lawyers for the basketball star argue that physical evidence shows his accuser had sex with another man shortly after she said she was assaulted.

But prosecutors argue the traces of semen and sperm found on the then-19-year-old woman could have been transferred to her body from a pair of underwear she had previously worn.



This thread is over a year old (7-18-03) but some new news was made today. Read above. From Yahoo News. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=577&e=1&u=/nm/20040803/sp_nm/nba_crime_bryant_dc



I’ll buy that! She gets home from a long days work and she takes a shower. After the shower she puts on another pair of underwear. And where does this girl go to get the underwear she puts on? The dirty clothes hamper. Don’t we all?



I think the prosecution is going to have a difficult time selling that.

[Jaltus]

From what I understand, the semen found in her all matched Kobe.

[ews~]

From what I understand, the semen found in her all matched Kobe.

From the report released on Monday it said test from Miss Faber’s thigh and genitals suggested she had sex with another person anther than Kobe Bryant. I have not seen a report saying the semen found all matched Kobe. Where did you get this from?

[elysian]

How about a woman's perspective on this? I freely admit there were times in my life in which I had no problem trolling for dudes. It is just as wrong for a woman to troll about for dudes and put them in compromising positions as it is for a man to seduce a woman and put her in a compromising position.

What was she doing in a hotel room with a married man? Obviously he didn't invite this girl to his room to play Monopoly, and I don't think that playing board games was on her mind either. IMO this was consensual sex, and if it truly was consensual she is every bit as guilty as he is.

FYI:
Most women do NOT re-wear undies that have landed in the laundry hamper, especially if they are *soiled* from amorous adventures. Not only would this be poor hygiene, it might be a rather pointed commentary on the virtue of the woman in question, i.e. it implies she is a woman of loose morals. Having loose morals doesn't mean that she "deserves" to be raped, but it gives her accusations of rape far less credibility.

[ews~]

How about a woman's perspective on this? I freely admit there were times in my life in which I had no problem trolling for dudes. It is just as wrong for a woman to troll about for dudes and put them in compromising positions as it is for a man to seduce a woman and put her in a compromising position.

What was she doing in a hotel room with a married man? Obviously he didn't invite this girl to his room to play Monopoly, and I don't think that playing board games was on her mind either. IMO this was consensual sex, and if it truly was consensual she is every bit as guilty as he is.

FYI:
Most women do NOT re-wear undies that have landed in the laundry hamper, especially if they are *soiled* from amorous adventures. Not only would this be poor hygiene, it might be a rather pointed commentary on the virtue of the woman in question, i.e. it implies she is a woman of loose morals. Having loose morals doesn't mean that she "deserves" to be raped, but it gives her accusations of rape far less credibility.

100% in agreement.

Having loose morals doesn't mean that she "deserves" to be raped

110% agreement on this one.

[ews~]

Judge dismissed all charges

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=2&u=/nm/20040902/ts_nm/nba_crime_bryant_dc

This must have cost Kobe a ton of money.

[Raptor]

Judge dismissed all charges

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=2&u=/nm/20040902/ts_nm/nba_crime_bryant_dc

This must have cost Kobe a ton of money.

It did, but the Lakers gave him most of this years contract during the summer, and they helped pay for his travel back and forth. So I don't think he's hurting too much.