CLEVELAND, Ohio (24-7 News)--Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley will not attend the NFL draft on Thursday in Philadelphia following sexual assault allegations his attorney called "ludicrous and ridiculous."
Conley, 21, has not been charged or arrested after a woman alleged she was sexually assaulted by the potential first-round draft pick.
Investigators are in the preliminary stages of gathering statements and had not interviewed Conley as of early Tuesday afternoon.
According to the police report, the alleged incident took place at the Westin Downtown in Cleveland around 3 a.m. ET on April 9. The victim told police Conley raped her in a room at the hotel. Conley was not at the hotel when police arrived.
Kevin Spellacy, Conley's attorney, vehemently denied the allegations to WOIO-TV in Cleveland. Security employees for all 32 NFL franchises are likely investigating the incident feverishly just days before the 2017 NFL Draft begins.
Two men claiming they were with Conley at the time of the alleged incident said they did not see anything happen between Conley and the woman.
A police report Tuesday reveals that the victim told authorities Conley propositioned her for sex and she refused, but agreed to watch another couple in the room. A short time later, the victim told police Conley grabbed her and raped her. Both USA Today and the NFL Network reported that the alleged victim was transported to a hospital, and a rape kit was administered.
A second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2016, NFLDraftScout.com ranks Conley second among cornerbacks and 22nd overall among prospects in the 2017 draft. The redshirt junior has a 4.44 time in the 40-yard dash and 37-inch vertical. It remains to be seen if the charges will cause Conley to spiral downward in the draft.
In 2015, All-SEC offensive tackle La'el Collins of LSU went undrafted after 29-year-old Brittney Mills was shot to death shortly before the draft. Collins, who was rated as a first-round draft pick before the murder, was formerly romantically involved with Mills. Mills' child was born a month prematurely despite her death but died one week later. Collins was questioned by police and wasn't charged in the murders.