Ronaldo says accuser’s lawyer used stolen docs, wants suit thrown out
International soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo wants a lawsuit with a woman who accused him of rape in a Las Vegas resort thrown out, alleging that her attorney obtained stolen documents from a hacker.
One of Ronaldo’s attorneys, Kendelee Works, wrote in court papers that Kathryn Mayorga’s lawyers at the Stovall & Associates firm acquired documents that were labeled “attorney-client communications” through what’s known as Football Leaks, a website that revealed confidential information about European sports.
“Stovall intentionally sought stolen documents from an alleged cyber hacker and not only used those documents as exhibits to public filings in this case, but also as support for his request that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reopen a decade old investigation to prosecute the Defendant,” Works wrote.
Mayorga’s attorneys could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
In October, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey agreed to hear arguments on whether Mayorga was mentally capable of entering into a 2010 deal with Ronaldo’s representatives in which she received $375,000.
Citing the hack, Ronaldo’s attorney again asked to have the lawsuit against Ronaldo thrown out and disqualify the woman’s lawyers. Works requested an expedited hearing, but a date had not been set as of Wednesday.
“Stovall’s knowledge of the ill-gotten Football Leaks documents has permeated this litigation, tainted the truth finding process and resulted in prejudice to Defendant that cannot be remedied by any sanction less than dismissal,” Works wrote.
The Clark County district attorney’s office has said that prosecutors would not pursue criminal charges against Ronaldo, citing a lack of evidence at the time of the alleged attack.
Mayorga has said that after she was assaulted in June 2009, she refused to provide a name out of fear of public humiliation and retaliation but identified her attacker, whom she met at a nightclub inside the Palms, to police as “a famous soccer player.”
Investigators had reopened the case after Mayorga identified Ronaldo as her attacker to police for the first time in August 2018.
About a month later, a lawsuit accusing Ronaldo of obstructing the criminal investigation into the sexual assault allegations was filed.
Ronaldo has taken to Twitter to state, in part, “I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in.”
Mayorga’s lawsuit alleges battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, coercion and fraud, abuse of a vulnerable person, defamation, and racketeering and civil conspiracy.
The complaint alleges that Ronaldo threatened to say that the sex was consensual in order to frame her allegations as extortion.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.
