July 10th 2025.
In 2021, former Portland Trail Blazer Ben McLemore was found guilty of raping a woman in Lake Oswego and was sentenced to more than eight years in prison on July 9th. The district attorney's office of Clackamas County, Oregon, stated that the former NBA player was convicted of rape and other sex crimes and was given a 100-month sentence by Clackamas County Presiding Judge Michael C. Wetzel.
The verdict came after a Clackamas County jury found McLemore guilty on July 3rd of raping and sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman in 2021. He was charged with Rape in the First Degree, Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree, and Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree in Clackamas County Circuit Court.
During the trial, the victim shared a statement through video, expressing the emotional toll the incident had taken on her. She said, "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. 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."
The incident occurred on October 3rd, 2021, at the home of McLemore's former teammate, Robert Covington. According to prosecutor Scott Healy, the victim was heavily intoxicated and passed out on the living room couch around 2 a.m. McLemore, who was also sleeping on the couch, woke up at 6 a.m. and sexually assaulted her while she was partially conscious.
McLemore's attorneys argued that the victim initiated the sexual contact and consented to it. However, the jury found him guilty, and he was handed the prison sentence. After the verdict, McLemore's attorneys, Lisa Maxfield and Kris Winemiller of Pacific Northwest Law LLP, released a statement from their client. In the statement, McLemore expressed remorse and took responsibility for his actions. He said, "I know people are hurting, and I want to acknowledge the weight of what has happened. My heart goes out to everyone who has been impacted. This would not have occurred if I was clear-headed. I take responsibility for that. It would be an understatement to say that my thought processes and judgment were impaired."
McLemore was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the 2013 NBA Draft and played for multiple teams during his NBA career. He had recently played overseas in Europe, China, and Turkey before his last season with the Trail Blazers in 2021-22.
In a related story, incarcerated women in the United States received a $116 million settlement for sexual assaults by staff members. This highlights the ongoing issue of sexual assault in the prison system and the need for accountability and justice for survivors.
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