A grand jury in Harris County, Texas, declined Friday to indict Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on charges of sexual assault and harassment.
Watson, 26, may have avoided criminal charges, but he still faces civil lawsuits filed by 22 women accusing him of sexual misconduct.
“After a Harris County grand jury was presented all the evidence and had the opportunity to hear from all witnesses, grand jurors declined to indict Deshaun Watson,” Dane Schiller, a spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, said, according to CNN. “Grand jury proceedings are secret by law, so no information related to their inquiry may be disclosed.”
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Watson has been accused of inappropriately touching some of the women, kissing them without permission, and exposing himself during massage appointments. In one session, a woman claimed that Watson forced her to perform oral sex on him. Watson has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. His lawyers have said there was some sexual activity, but none of it was coerced.
A Houston police investigation began in April 2021 following a criminal complaint against the quarterback. Several of the women who sued Watson also filed police complaints and appeared before the grand jury, according to the Associated Press.
“Deshaun Watson did not commit any crimes and is not guilty of any offenses. Now that the criminal investigations have been completed, we are happy to move forward with the civil case depositions,” said Watson’s lead attorney, Rusty Hardin, according to CNN. “We will vigorously defend those cases with every ounce we have.”
Watson was also deposed Friday in two of the lawsuits he faces and invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, Hardin said.
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The NFL is also reviewing the matter.
Watson, who has been a quarterback with the Texans since 2017, was not suspended by the league but did not play games during the 2021 season amid the investigation.
