Former NFL player Justin Crawford was sentenced to 12 years in jail for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.

Crawford pleaded guilty to child molestation and sodomy on Tuesday, according to WBOY.

As Blavity previously reported, Crawford was arrested in October 2018 after his wife Chakeya walked in on him standing naked over the victim at 5 a.m. He initially denied any wrongdoing, and Chakeya went back to bed. Initial reports said Crawford had an erection, but his wife denied it.

Chakeya eventually brought the girl to her mother. The preteen told them Crawford coerced her into performing oral sex before he penetrated her. She eventually received a medical exam, and a rape kit was used to collect DNA evidence.

He was originally facing several other charges including aggravated child molestation and enticing a minor for indecent purposes.

TMZ reports Crawford accepted a plea deal in exchange for a more lenient sentence. After he struck the deal, several charges were dropped including aggravated child molestation and enticing a minor for indecent purposes. He was originally facing 25 years to life, according to The Ledger-Enquirer.

Defense attorney Michael Eddings said his client experienced a “very gross moral departure” after he was dropped by the Falcons in September 2018. He admitted Crawford’s behavior was inexcusable but wanted to give insight into his “mental state.”

“He’s going to carry this for the rest of his life,” said Eddings.

During the hearing, Crawford apologized to his family, the victim and the girl’s family.

In addition to his jail sentence, he received 20 years of probation which will begin once he’s behind bars. Crawford will be required to register as a sex offender.

Justin Crawford

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