A week after Deshaun Watson was dealt to the Browns, the QB was facing another possible criminal case.
A second Texas grand jury weighed evidence before deciding Thursday to not charge Watson. The complainant was another massage therapist, who told police that Watson ejaculated on her arm, according to the New York Times.
Tom Selleck, the district attorney in Brazoria County, called the case closed on Thursday.
“After a careful and thorough review of the facts documented in the reports prepared by the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department, as well as hearing testimony from witnesses, the Grand Jury for Brazoria County has declined to charge Deshaun Watson with any crimes,” Selleck said in a statement.
More than 20 women are suing Watson for sexual abuse they say happened at massage appointments. Earlier this month, a Harris County (Texas) grand jury decided not to charge Watson in nine of the cases it was considering, ending the criminal case in Harris County. NFL teams took that decision as open season to acquire Watson, although the Browns structured his contract in a way that acknowledges he will almost certainly be suspended at some point this season.
The case the grand jury decided to not charge on Thursday was filed with the Houston police, but in Brazoria County, outside of Harris County, and was the final pending legal case for Watson, according to the Times.
Civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by Watson are still pending.
The Browns claimed to have spent a “tremendous amount of time exploring and investigating” and undertaken a “comprehensive evaluation process” before trading for Watson. But they never spoke to any of the women accusing Watson of sexual misconduct, or their lawyer, Tony Buzbee. They did speak to three lawyers paid to represent Watson and tell reporters that those lawyers were women, though.
