Benjamin Mendy, a star soccer player for Manchester City, was charged Thursday with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, British police said.
Mendy, 27, was arrested and will remain behind bars until at least his initial hearing Friday, the Crown Protection Service said in a press release.
Police said the charges are connected to three alleged victims. The first offense occurred in October 2020 and the most recent happened this month, according to police.
Cops said the attacks occurred in Cheshire, one county south of Manchester in northwest England.
Manchester City suspended Mendy because of the investigation. The club said it couldn’t comment further because “the matter is subject to a legal process.”
Mendy, a defender, joined the English superclub in 2017 on a £52 million transfer from Monaco. He started one of the team’s two games so far this season and appeared in 13 games last year in Manchester City’s title-winning campaign, scoring two goals.
