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Former NBA guard Ben McLemore was sentenced to 100 months in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of raping a 21-year-old woman in Oregon in 2021.
A jury from Clackamas County Circuit Court found McLemore, 32, guilty last week on one charge of first-degree rape, one charge of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-degree sexual abuse. He was found not guilty of an additional second-degree sexual abuse charge.
McLemore, who pleaded not guilty to all four counts, didn’t address the court on Wednesday while his sentence was read to him.
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Portland Trail Blazers guard Ben McLemore (23) rebounds in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: (Daniel Dunn/USA TODAY Sports)
“Many people are often afraid to report this type of conduct for a number of reasons,” Clackamas County First Assistant District Attorney Scott Healy said in a statement, per ESPN.
“Hopefully the victim’s strength and courage in this case will give others the fortitude to come forward in circumstances where sexual assault has occurred. The sentence the defendant received today should serve as a reminder that this type of conduct will not be tolerated in our community, and that the Clackamas County DA’s Office will always work hard to hold offenders accountable and provide justice to victims.”
EX-NBA PLAYER BEN MCLEMORE FOUND GUILTY OF RAPE AFTER 11-DAY OREGON TRIAL
The incident occurred in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in October 2021, when McLemore was identified as a suspect by authorities after the woman’s complaint.
The woman appeared on video on Wednesday, reading a statement aloud for the court.
“This has been the longest almost four years of my life. I never imagined that reporting this back in 2021 would lead to such an incredibly difficult and long journey,” she said, per ESPN. “These last few years have often felt like a weight that I’ve had to drag behind me, a constant reminder of the trauma that I haven’t been able to fully work through because there was no ending in sight. I now understand, on a deep level, why so many victims hesitate or never report what happened to them.”
Portland Trail Blazers guard Ben McLemore (23) celebrates after scoring a three point basket during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Moda Center. The Trail Blazers won the game, 114-108. (Troy Wayrynen/USA TODAY Sports)
In February 2024, a Clackamas County grand jury listened to evidence in the case, which included the woman’s testimony saying McLemore assaulted her. McLemore was arrested two months later by U.S. Marshals.
During the trial, Healy told the jury the woman passed out on a living room couch around 2 a.m. after drinking heavily. She regained partial consciousness the next morning, when McLemore sexually penetrated her and then proceeded to have sex with her.
McLemore’s team of attorneys disputed the claims, saying she initiated sexual contact and consented to it. The lawyers also claimed the woman was sober enough to consent to sexual contact.
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McLemore, a Kansas product, played nine seasons in the NBA, five with the Sacramento Kings, who took him seventh overall in the 2013 NBA Draft.
He bounced around the league toward the end, playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and, finally, the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season.
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