Ben Roethlisberger Accused of Sexual Assault by Andrea NcNulty

Ben Roethlisberger has been accused of sexual assault by a Harrah's Casino employee. Andrea McNulty claims that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, sexually assaulted her while she was in his room fixing his television. The civil case files stated that the alleged incident happened in July 2008 while Roethlisberger was in Lake Tahoe. No criminal charges have been filed.

Ben Roethlisberger is among 9 defendants listed on the Washoe County District Court Docket, which was filed July 19, 2009. According the nbcsports.com, 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 intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Other defendants listed on the Court Docket, including 2 women, are other Harrah's employee that Andrea McNulty is accusing of aiding and abetting Roethlisberger after the fact. They are also accused of defaming Andrea McNulty's character with false and inflammatory statements.

Speculation and the internet rumor mill have already started wondering why it has taken Andrea McNulty a year to decide to file a civil case. And if there is truth behind her allegations, why wasn't there a criminal complaint filed? There has not been a report of a criminal investigation into the allegations by Andrea McNulty. A civil case at this point would be merely a he said, she said with a whole lot of speculation thrown into the mix.

Was it just a coincidence that this case was filed the weekend Big Ben was back in Nevada for a celebrity golf tournament? Possibly a hopeless ploy to gain press coverage on the case? High profile and high paying careers make athletes prime target for such lawsuits. A similar civil case placed Kobe Bryant as a defendant 6 years ago when a hotel employee accused Bryant of rape and sexual assault. Bryant's criminal case was dropped when the plaintiff refused to testify. The civil case was settled out of court. Bryant said he and the defendant, Katelyn Faber had consensual sex.

Ben Roethlisberger signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2004 draft pick. Along with a 6 year contract Roethlisberger also received a $9 million signing bonus to seal the deal. Roethlisberger lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII. With the pre season opener less than a month away, will Ben Roethlisberger be ready to play?