Former-football star charged with sexual assault after ‘woman in her 20s attacked in bar on night out’
A FORMER-football star has been charged with sexual assault after a woman in her 20s was allegedly attacked in a bar.
The 38-year-old - who has a devoted fan base - was arrested on Sunday, the day after a night out in a bar in Derry where the alleged incident took place.
Cops have seized CCTV from the pub for examination.
An issue was raised involving a local woman, aged in her 20s, who did not know him, it is understood.
On Thursday cops said: “Police have charged a 38-year-old male with sexual assault in the Derry / Londonderry area.
“He is due to appear before Londonderry Magistrates' Court on 23rd February.
“As is normal procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.”
The accused man did not respond after an approach by the Irish Sun.
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The footie star has played for a string of clubs across Ireland and UK.
Under Northern Irish law, the maximum penalty for sexual assault and for causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent is ten years imprisonment.
The maximum penalty for rape, assault by penetration and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent - where penetration is involved - is life imprisonment.
According to Police Service of Northern Ireland data, between July 2020 to June 2021 there were 3,597 sexual offences reported to cops.
Some 1,123 of these offences were of rape and 2,474 were categorised as other sexual offences.