Former NFL Player Kellen Winslow II Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison

Former NFL football player Kellen Winslow II was sentenced to 14 years in prison under a plea deal on Wednesday. He was convicted for multiple rapes and sexual offenses against five Southern California women. 

According to the New York Post, Winslow, 37, was convicted on charges of forcible rape, rape of an unconscious person, assault with intent to commit rape, indecent exposure, and lewd conduct in public. He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. 

He appeared in court virtually at the hearing in San Diego Superior Court in Vista, California. At the advice of his attorneys, Winslow did not speak before his sentencing.

San Diego County Superior Court Judge Blaine Bowman said Winslow could only be described with “two words, and that is sexual predator,” according to the outlet, and called his crimes “brazen.” Bowman also said that he preyed on vulnerable women, saying, “The vulnerability of the victims was no accident.”

The son of former San Diego Chargers Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow exposed himself to his 57-year-old-neighbor, who was gardening. He also performed a lewd act in front of a 77-year-old woman at a gym while concealing his ankle bracelet with a towel. 

The forcible rape involved a homeless Encinitas woman who was one of the four women who gave victim impact statements on Wednesday.

“It’s affecting my life every day and every night,” she said. “I don’t ever feel safe inside or outside. You brought so much damage to my life.”

All of the women who spoke described the emotional trauma they experienced due to the attacks and how it has impacted their lives.

But that jury failed to agree on other charges, including the alleged 2018 rape of a 54-year-old hitchhiker and the 2003 rape of an unconscious 17-year-old high school senior who went to a party with him when he was 19, according to The Post. Before he was retried on those charges, he pleaded guilty to raping the teen and to the sexual battery of the hitchhiker.

Last month, both sides agreed to drop the sexual battery charge down to assault with intent to commit rape. In doing so, the maximum sentence was reduced to 14 years from the 18 years Winslow initially faced.

At one point in his career, Winslow was one of the highest-paid tight ends in the NFL. A first-round pick, he played for the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, and the New York Jets. His last season playing football was in 2013.