Troubled Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor was arraigned Thursday afternoon on charges he raped a 16-year-old girl at a Holiday Inn in Suffern, NY.
The girl, who was reportedly 15 when she ran away from her Bronx home in March, told authorities that a pimp took her against her will to the hotel about 25 miles north of New York City. Taylor paid her $300, police said.
After leaving the hotel, the girl texted her uncle, who notified the NYPD. The NYPD asked Ramapo police to arrest Taylor. A 16-year-old, under New York law, cannot have consensual sex. Taylor, 51, could face a maximum four-year sentence if convicted.
As he awaited his arraignment, a handcuffed Taylor rocked back and forth. He is also charged with soliciting a prostitute.
“He’s devastated,” his lawyer, Arthur Aidala, said, noting that Taylor has, in recent years, cleaned up his public image. His bail was set at $75,000.
The alleged pimp, Rasheed Davis, 36, faces charges of unlawful imprisonment, assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
One of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, Taylor played for the New York Giants from 1981 to 1993. Off the field, however, he led a checkered life and battled drug addiction.
