Ben McLemore says he did not rape woman as he faces multiple sex crimes

Ben McLemore, a former first-round pick in the NBA Draft, was arrested on Tuesday, March 22, 2023, on multiple sex crime charges in Sacramento, California. According to a press release from the Sacramento Police Department, McLemore was taken into custody following an investigation into allegations of sexual assault that occurred at an apartment complex in the Arden-Arcade area of Sacramento on March 19, 2023.

The victim, who has not been identified, reported that she was sexually assaulted by McLemore after they met at a local bar. The alleged incident took place at the victim's apartment later that night. The Sacramento Police Department's Sexual Assault Investigations Unit began investigating the case and eventually arrested McLemore on Tuesday.

McLemore was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on three felony counts of sexual penetration without consent and one felony count of false imprisonment by use of violence or menace. He is currently being held on $500,000 bail.

In response to the allegations, McLemore issued a statement through his attorney, Mark Geragos, denying any wrongdoing. "Ben denies these allegations and looks forward to clearing his name," Geragos said in the statement. "He will cooperate with investigators and hopes that the true facts will come out in due course."

McLemore was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the seventh overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft but failed to live up to expectations and was traded to several teams before being waived by the Houston Rockets in 2021. He last played professionally in the Israeli Basketball Premier League for Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The Sacramento Police Department is urging anyone with information related to this case to contact them at (916) 808-2400 or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) by entering SACTIP followed by the tip information.