A Pittsburgh TV station reported on Wednesday that that Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger admitted to police that there was consensual contact between him and his 20-year-old accuser last Friday, but there was not sexual intercourse.
KDKA-TV, which cited persons close to Roethlisberger, reported he spoke to police on the night of the alleged assault.
Roethlisberger's attorney, Ed Garland, has said the quarterback is "completely innocent." KDKA reported that Roethlisberger has told friends the accusation is false.
The station reported that Roethlisberger said the woman, who has not been identified, slipped and hit her head after the two had contact.
Police have said that they are continuing to investigate the alleged assault. Roethlisberger hasn't met with cops since he left the Georgia bar where the assault allegedly occurred.
Pittsburgh defense attorney Bob Del Greco told KDKA that Garland likely won't allow Roethlisberger to speak to police unless it's part of an effort to discover more of the police investigation.
He told the station the head injury could pose problems for the Roethlisberger defense team.
"Why does she have the bump on the head and theoretically, why do we have your DNA and why did she come to the hospital for this matter, because if it was a consensual matter and she bumped her head, she could have certainly have gone to the hospital and said, 'I bumped my head.'
"It almost seems to put the onus on the accused or the perpetrator, the defense to tell the prosecutor to say why isn't this so and why shouldn't I bring these charges."
UPDATE, 10:29 p.m. ET: ESPN also reported that Roethlisberger spoke with police on the night of the alleged incident.
SOURCE: USA Today 'The Huddle'
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