NBA player and actor Rashid Byrd was sentenced to 90 years to life in prison for a series of violent sexual assaults, with some of the incidents taking place in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) initiated an investigation into Byrd in 2019 following a sexual assault claim by a victim, as reported by deadline.com.
In 2010, Byrd was convicted of sexual assault involving a different victim, revealed LAPD detectives during their investigation. Additionally, Byrd had a prior arrest for sexually assaulting a young woman in Washington State in 2005, according to the LAPD statement.
Reports indicate that Byrd initially charmed his victims, leveraging his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity, but eventually turned violent. The lead investigator on the case, Detective Dara Brown, stated, "He started as a charmer, playing up his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity, but that quickly faded into rapes and violence."
The 7-foot-1 inch Byrd played 22 games for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League in the 2008-09 season.
Byrd, known for his role in the 2008 film 'Semi Pro' and other appearances, was taken into custody by LAPD detectives in 2020 for sexual assault.
Following legal proceedings, the 39-year-old was sentenced to 90 years to life in state prison for the violent sexual assaults in L.A. and Santa Clara counties. Byrd's victims reported that he was initially charming before coercing them into various sex acts.
Detective Dara Brown expressed gratitude for the courage of the women who came forward, stating, "The Los Angeles Police Department is grateful for the brave women who came forward to tell their stories." Byrd, who had been in custody since his 2020 arrest, had a bail set at $4,150,000.
Efforts were made to locate all of Byrd's victims, and Detective Brown encouraged individuals with more information to contact her at 213-486-6840 or via email at rhdtipline@lapd.online.
