Former NFL star Darren Sharper charged with rape in California
Ex-Packers safety Darren Sharper is accused of drugging and raping two women
Former National Football League star Darren Sharper was charged on Friday with drugging and raping two women he met in a California nightclub, accusations similar to those he faces in three other US states.
The 38-year-old, who won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints in 2010 but retired later that year after 14 NFL seasons, appeared briefly in court but remains free on US$200,000 bail.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Roberto Longoria ordered Sharper, who was arrested on January 17, to surrender his passport, keep away from a Hollywood nightclub where he allegedly met his victims and stay in a Los Angeles hotel.
We look forward to the true facts being revealed in this case and we are hopeful that Mr Sharper will be fully exonerated before this case is concluded
If convicted on all charges, he could face more than 30 years in jail, prosecutors said.
Sharper is accused of raping a woman he met at the Bootsy Bellows nightclub in West Hollywood last October 30, and another victim he met at the same club in January, allegedly using the sleep medication zolpidem.
Prosecutors sought to have his bail increased to US$10 million over allegations that he "committed several offences against multiple victims in numerous jurisdictions". The judge did not rule on that request.
As well as the alleged incidents in Hollywood, he is accused of similar crimes in New Orleans, Las Vegas and Arizona between last September and last month, court documents say.
