C.J. Spillman Investigated for Sexual Assault: Latest Details, Comments and More

Updates from Wednesday, Oct. 8 

Michael O'keefe, Nathaniel Vinton and Christian Red of the New York Daily News provide details on a separate allegation that took place in 2013:

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C.J. Spillman, the player Allred accused of a recent sexual assault in a Sept. 26 letter to the NFL, also allegedly attempted to rape a Bay Area massage therapist last year, according to police reports reviewed by the Daily News. Spillman was a member of the 49ers at the time of the earlier incident.

Last December the woman told police in Santa Clara, Calif., that Spillman, now a special teams player with the Dallas Cowboys, groped her and tried to rip off her pants after she gave him in a sports massage at her studio. He also pinned her on the ground and tried to put his penis in her mouth, the woman said, according to a police report.

“He was trying to rape me!” the alleged victim told police.

 

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Updates from Thursday, Oct. 2

Todd Archer of ESPN passed along comments from Jason Garrett on C.J. Spillman following the reports surrounding him:

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'I think you have to be careful with just accusations and allegations in this situation,' Garrett said Thursday. 'When someone is officially charged or arrested for something, that's when it becomes a different situation in our minds. For now, he's a member of our football team and will take part in everything we do to this point.'

Grapevine police confirmed Spillman is being investigated in connection with an alleged sexual assault at the Gaylord Hotel. According to a source, Spillman has cooperated fully with police.

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Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today passed along comments from the league on Spillman:

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NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday the league is 'looking into the matter,' and has reached out to the woman's attorney, Gloria Allred.

'We have offered to Ms. Allred to make our special advisor Lisa Friel available to interview her client on a confidential and appropriate basis to obtain more information,' Aiello said in an email.

Friel, a New York City prosecutor formerly in charge of sex crimes in Manhattan, was hired to serve as an advisor to the NFL last month.

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Original Text

Dallas Cowboys safety/special-teamer C.J. Spillman is under investigation for an alleged sexual assault that occurred in the team's hotel the day before Week 3's win over the St. Louis Rams.

Spillman, 28, has not been charged, and police in Grapevine, Texas, are still investigating the claims, according to a report from Michael O'Keeffe, Christian Red and Nathaniel Vinton of the New York Daily News.

"We have a sexual assault report we are investigating at this time, and it does involve C.J. Spillman," police spokesman Sgt. Robert Eberling said. "He is involved in the investigation. We are looking into the matter."

The assault allegedly occurred at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, where the Cowboys typically stay before a game. The alleged incident happened on Sept. 20, before the team traveled to St. Louis for its 34-31 win.

Spillman, who is in his first season with the Cowboys, made his only tackle of the year during that game. The former Marshall standout previously played for the San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers, where he excelled on special teams.

David Goldman/Associated Press/Associated Press

Details from the case are still emerging, and neither the Cowboys nor the NFL have released a statement on the matter. However, the Daily News report notes that civil rights attorney Gloria Allred sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell Sept. 26 indicating she represented a woman who was allegedly raped by an NFL player and then was allowed to play the next day.

Allred refused to confirm Spillman's case was the one she was speaking of. The timeline and details match up, though, and the New York-based attorney's letter indicates a team official met with the alleged victim and police.

"Thereafter, the accused was then allowed by his team to play the following day," Allred's letter said. "We have asked the NFL whether or not this alleged rape was reported to them and if they approved this accused individual's playing in the game notwithstanding the allegations that had been made against him."

Spillman's case comes during a time of unprecedented pressure from media and human rights groups regarding the NFL's handling of player violence toward women. Goodell has been widely criticized for his handling of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, whom the NFL commissioner suspended indefinitely last month after video of him punching his then-fiancee Janay Palmer was leaked by TMZ (warning: graphic content).

Jason DeCrow/Associated Press

At a Sept. 19 press conference, Goodell admitted mistakes in handling the Rice case and promised more proactivity from the NFL on the domestic violence front going forward.

"I got it wrong with the handling of the Ray Rice matter and I am sorry for that. I got it wrong on a number of levels from the process that I led to the decision that I reached. I don't expect anyone just to take my word," Goodell told reporters. "I believe in accountability, I understand the challenges before me and I will be held accountable for meeting them."

Spillman has not been charged with a crime. In a similar vein, 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald, who is alleged to have committed domestic violence but has not yet been charged, has been allowed to play while the investigation is ongoing.

Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson have each been deactivated by their teams this season due to off-field trouble.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.