A professional rugby player who became a phenom when he played for the San Francisco 49ers, Jarryd Hayne, was found guilty of sexual assault in Australia.
A two-time player of the year in Australia’s NRL, Hayne spent a season with the 49ers before returning to the rugby league.
Hayne played in eight games with San Francisco, rushing for 52 yards on 17 carries in 2015.
Per the Sydney Herald:
Hayne, 33, faced trial in the NSW District Court on two counts of aggravated sexual intercourse without consent, recklessly inflicting actual bodily harm, after he assaulted a 26-year-old woman in her Newcastle home with his hands and mouth in September 2018.
A jury was hung on the charges at a trial last year … but a second jury convicted Hayne of the two counts of sexual intercourse without consent Monday after an 18-hour deliberation.
Hayne said: “I’d rather go to jail knowing I spoke the truth than be a free man living a lie. I was straight up from the start. It’s unfortunate, it’s disappointing, but at the end of the day they’ve come to a decision, I respect that.”
He was released on bail, on the condition that he report daily to police, and will face sentencing in May. Hayne faces a 14-year prison sentence.
