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NFL player Barkevious Mingo took a teenage boy out for a day of amusement-park rides and go-karting and let him buy anything he wanted from Nike’s online store before getting into the boy’s hotel bed that night and touching him inappropriately, Arlington police say in a search-warrant affidavit.
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The affidavit, obtained by KXAS-TV (NBC5), reveals details about the case against the linebacker, who faces a charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Mingo, 30, turned himself in to authorities Thursday and was released on $25,000 bond. His attorney, Chris Lewis, told ESPN that the accusation is a lie and that his client “will be fully vindicated when the truth comes to light.”
Police wrote in the affidavit that the accuser reported the sexual abuse in January, telling them that it took place in July 2019, when he was 13.
According to the affidavit, the boy said he and a friend spent the day with Mingo, with the football player treating them to outings at Six Flags Over Texas and a go-kart track, dinner and then whatever apparel they wanted from Nike’s website. The affidavit for the search warrant — which seeks information about those Nike orders — notes that buying gifts for children is a common method of “grooming” in cases of sexual abuse.
The boy said he and his friend spent the night at a hotel with Mingo and that he woke up in the middle of the night and discovered Mingo in bed with him. He said Mingo pulled his underwear down and rubbed up against him while the boy pretended to be asleep, according to the affidavit.
The Atlanta Falcons, who had signed Mingo this spring, terminated his contract after learning of the allegation. Lewis, Mingo’s attorney, said in his statement that the team had rushed to judgment before it knew all the facts.
Mingo played college football at LSU and was drafted in 2013 by the Cleveland Browns. He has also played for the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans and Chicago Bears.