On Thursday, Former San Francisco 49er Dana Stubblefield was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for raping a developmentally disabled woman who prosecutors said he lured to his home with the promise of a babysitting job.
The Mercury News reported that a San Jose judge issued the sentence after denying a defense motion for a new trial. Last week, the Sixth District Court of Appeal denied a relation petition filed on behalf of Stubblefield by his attorneys.
In July, a Jury found 49-year old Stubblefield, guilty of raping the woman at gunpoint. He was also convicted of forcible oral copulation and false imprisonment. Stubblefield has been held in the Santa Clara County Main Jail since the verdict.
Prosecutors say that a day before the assault Stubblefield contacted the woman on a baby-sitting website to arrange an interview.
In a report by the Morgan Hill Police Department, they found that the interview lasted about 20 minutes. The victim went back to the home shortly after receiving a text message from Stubblefield saying that he wanted to pay her for her time that day.
According to the report, Stubblefield raped her, gave her $80, and let her go. The woman immediately went to the police and reported the rape. The report also showed that DNA evidence matched that of Stubblefield’s.
The defense attorneys argued that there was no rape and that the woman had consented to the sex.
Stubblefield’s trial attorney, Allen Sawyer, said the defense team was stopped from showing the jury strong evidence that would have supported the contention.
After the sentencing, Sawyer emphasized that the jury rejected two felony charges alleging that Stubblefield exploited a woman who was mentally incapable of providing consent to sex. He said, “We proved it, and the jury found that was not true.” He added, “That false narrative corrupted this trial from start to finish.”
