A former Dallas Cowboys special teams player was sentenced to five years in prison Friday after being convicted of raping a woman at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, officials said.
C.J. Spillman was found guilty of sexual assault in less than two hours by a Tarrant County jury Thursday, said Samantha K. Jordan, spokeswoman with the district attorney's office.
Spillman testified that the woman accusing him of rape acted like a "sports groupie," the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
In September 2014, soon after he signed with the Cowboys, Spillman invited a woman he'd met in another city to Dallas to show her around, Jordan said.
Spillman and the woman, who has not been identified, returned to the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, where he was staying. A report from Grapevine police says the attack took place between 6 and 7 a.m. Sept. 20, 2014.
The woman testified that she wanted to leave early once she realized Spillman's former live-in girlfriend, the mother of his three children, got a restraining order against him after he allegedly pulled a gun on her, the Star-Telegram reports.
Spillman blamed his behavior in that case on the stress about a proposed $500,000 cut to his 49ers salary. He said he had to get an advance to cover his child support, but thought it was normal to rack up big bills in Las Vegas, the Fort Worth paper reports.
"I have spent $20,000 in Vegas in one night but not all on my own," Spillman said. "You go to Vegas with three other people and get a $20,000 bill, but when you divide it up, it's only $5,000 each."
A few hours after their encounter at the hotel, Spillman accompanied the Cowboys to St. Louis and played in a game the next day.
After talking with family members, the woman filed charges with Grapevine police, Jordan said. The woman testified during the trial that she expected their meeting to be as friends.
Testifying in his own defense, Spillman acknowledged having sex with the woman but said it was consensual.
The Cowboys signed Spillman less than a week before the 2014 regular season opener to fill a void in their special teams.
After the sexual assault investigation became public, he consistently avoided reporters. At the time, head coach Jason Garrett said Spillman would continue to play for the Cowboys because in his mind, due process begins with a charge, not an allegation.
He became a free agent in March 2015, and a Tarrant County grand jury indicted Spillman in June 2015.
Spillman split time between his home state of Kentucky and Texas, occasionally living with David Wells at his DeSoto home. Wells is known for working with troubled Cowboys players and helping them navigate the criminal justice system.
He said Spillman turned down a plea deal for misdemeanor assault because he wanted to clear his name.
Nine months before the Grapevine investigation, a California massage therapist accused Spillman of attempted rape when he was a player for San Francisco. He denied the allegation and was never charged.
Former Cowboy C.J. Spillman gets 5 years in prison after calling rape victim a 'groupie' on stand
C.J. Spillman was found guilty of sexual assault in less than two hours by a Tarrant County jury Thursday, said Samantha K. Jordan, spokeswoman with the district attorney's office.
Spillman testified that the woman accusing him of rape acted like a "sports groupie," the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
In September 2014, soon after he signed with the Cowboys, Spillman invited a woman he'd met in another city to Dallas to show her around, Jordan said.
Spillman and the woman, who has not been identified, returned to the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, where he was staying. A report from Grapevine police says the attack took place between 6 and 7 a.m. Sept. 20, 2014.
The woman testified that she wanted to leave early once she realized Spillman's former live-in girlfriend, the mother of his three children, got a restraining order against him after he allegedly pulled a gun on her, the Star-Telegram reports.
Spillman blamed his behavior in that case on the stress about a proposed $500,000 cut to his 49ers salary. He said he had to get an advance to cover his child support, but thought it was normal to rack up big bills in Las Vegas, the Fort Worth paper reports.
"I have spent $20,000 in Vegas in one night but not all on my own," Spillman said. "You go to Vegas with three other people and get a $20,000 bill, but when you divide it up, it's only $5,000 each."
A few hours after their encounter at the hotel, Spillman accompanied the Cowboys to St. Louis and played in a game the next day.
After talking with family members, the woman filed charges with Grapevine police, Jordan said. The woman testified during the trial that she expected their meeting to be as friends.
Testifying in his own defense, Spillman acknowledged having sex with the woman but said it was consensual.
The Cowboys signed Spillman less than a week before the 2014 regular season opener to fill a void in their special teams.
After the sexual assault investigation became public, he consistently avoided reporters. At the time, head coach Jason Garrett said Spillman would continue to play for the Cowboys because in his mind, due process begins with a charge, not an allegation.
He became a free agent in March 2015, and a Tarrant County grand jury indicted Spillman in June 2015.
Spillman split time between his home state of Kentucky and Texas, occasionally living with David Wells at his DeSoto home. Wells is known for working with troubled Cowboys players and helping them navigate the criminal justice system.
He said Spillman turned down a plea deal for misdemeanor assault because he wanted to clear his name.
Nine months before the Grapevine investigation, a California massage therapist accused Spillman of attempted rape when he was a player for San Francisco. He denied the allegation and was never charged.
Former Cowboy C.J. Spillman gets 5 years in prison after calling rape victim a 'groupie' on stand
