ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 11, 1997 TAG: 9701130121
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DALLAS
SOURCE: Associated Press
DALLAS POLICE SAY the woman made up her rape allegations against the players.
A woman's allegation that Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Erik Williams raped her while teammate Michael Irvin held a gun to her head is not true, police said Friday in ending their investigation of the players.
``We've determined conclusively that the allegations are not true and that a sexual assault did not take place,'' police spokesman Ed Spencer said. ``We also determined that Michael Irvin was not present at any time.''
Spencer added that the 23-year-old woman could be charged with filing a false report.
The announcement followed Dallas radio and TV reports that the woman had recanted her accusation, and admitted it was a hoax. Spencer would not comment on the reports.
The woman, a former topless dancer who recently worked at a mall cosmetics counter, told police that Williams, Irvin and an unidentified third person gang-raped her at Williams' home in north Dallas on Dec. 29.
Irvin and Williams strongly denied the accusations soon after they were announced by police at a news conference.
``I've been falsely accused of something that I didn't do and I'm looking forward to the truth to come out as soon as possible,'' Williams said.
Irvin was even more vocal. ``I'm ...looking forward to seeing how you guys go rewrite, reprint, rerun all these things about what happened Sunday night when you find out that I wasn't even at Erik's house.''
Irvin had said he had not visited Williams' house in 1 1/2 years.
Irvin, 30, played in the Pro Bowl last year and Williams, 28, was selected to play in this year's game.
The allegation surfaced as the Cowboys were in the midst of another playoff run, and it proved to be a major distraction. The Cowboys, who have won three of the past four Super Bowls, lost to the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. Irvin injured his shoulder early and sat out most of the game.
The Dallas Morning News reported Saturday that Irvin didn't appear on a seized videotape that allegedly shows Williams and the woman having sex.
The woman, who had been under police protection since her allegation, told police she has known Irvin for six or seven years. She said they met through Irvin's wife.
Williams was previously accused of sexual assault, but a grand jury in 1995 refused to indict him, citing insufficient evidence. The incident involved a 17-year-old girl at Williams' home.
Irvin is on probation after pleading no contest in July to cocaine possession charges. At his sentencing, the judge threatened to put him in prison for 20 years if he violated parole. The NFL also suspended Irvin for the season's first five games.
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Dallas wide receiver Michael Irvin has beenby CNBexonerated of allegations that he was a participant as teammate Erik
Williams raped a woman at Williams' home in late December. (ran in
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