Roethlisberger Accused Of Sexual Assault

((HT: TSN))

Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ((pictured, thanks Jamie Squire/Getty)) has been accused of sexual assault by a Nevada casino employee.

David Cornwall, the attorney for the two-time Super Bowl champion, has denied the allegations made by Andrea McNulty, who filed a civil lawsuit last week in Washoe County, Nevada stemming from an alleged incident at a hotel room in July 2008.

The charges that Roethlisberger faces include a civil count of assault, a civil count of sexual assault and battery and a civil count of false imprisonment.

In a statement issued to ProFootballTalk.com, Cornwall addressed the issue.

"This weekend, Andrea McNulty served Ben Roethlisberger with a civil complaint accusing him of sexually assaulting her in July 2008. Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone, especially Andrea McNulty.

"The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct. If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated.

"Ben will not be baited into a public discussion about his personal life, but we will defend him vigorously. The limited value that Ms. McNulty derived from public disclosure of these viciously false allegations is the only value she will ever receive from Ben in this case."

The 27-year old Roethlisberger led the Steelers to victory this past February in Super Bowl XLIII over the Arizona Cardinals.

Here are some more bits and pieces from Florio...

"In the civil suit, which Cornwell confirms was served on Roethlisberger over the weekend and a copy of which our own Gregg Rosenthal has obtained, McNulty alleges that Roethlisberger asked her to come to his hotel room to fix the television, and that he thereafter forced her to have sex with him.

Roethlisberger faces one civil count of assault, one civil count of sexual assault and battery, one civil count of false imprisonment, one civil count of false pretenses, one civil count of fraud, and one civil count of intentonal infliction of emtional distress.

McNulty also claims that the coworkers named in the complaint thereafter defamed her by making allegedly false and inflammatory statements, and by allegedly serving as aiders and abettors of Roethlisberger's alleged misconduct after the fact."