MIAMI – New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown has been accused of rape by a former trainer.
Britney Taylor claims Brown sexually assaulted her on three occasions, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in the Southern District of Florida.
Brown, who grew up in South Florida and attended Miami Norland Senior High School, has denied the allegations.
According to the lawsuit, Brown "preyed on Ms. Taylor's kindness and her religious devotion, casting himself as a person equally dedicated to his religious faith and someone she could trust."
"In reality, he used manipulation and false promises to lure her into his world, and once there, he sexually assaulted and raped her," the lawsuit continued.
According to the lawsuit, Brown sexually assaulted Taylor twice in June 2017. It alleges the third incident occurred in May 2018, when Brown "forced her down onto a bed, pushed her face into the mattress and forcibly raped her."
Darren Heitner, a lawyer representing Brown, issued a lengthy statement in which he said Brown and Taylor were engaged in "a consensual personal relationship."
"The accuser not only traveled to Mr. Brown's residences on multiple occasions, she traveled from Tennessee to Florida and returned at 2 a.m. to Mr. Brown's residence 10 days after the alleged assault," Heitner wrote. "The accuser continued communications with Mr. Brown throughout 2018, and even asked Mr. Brown for tickets to a Pittsburgh Steelers football game in the winter of 2018."
Brown and Taylor met at Central Michigan University, where Brown was a star receiver for the Chippewas.
"We take these allegations very seriously," the Patriots said in a statement. "Under no circumstance does this organization condone sexual violence or assault. The league has informed us that they will be investigating. We will have no further comment while that investigation takes place."
Brown was released by the Oakland Raiders last week after clashing with the team throughout training camp. The seven-time Pro Bowl player agreed to a contract with New England on Saturday, but has yet to play for the Patriots.
Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office spokesman Ed Griffith said in a statement to ABC News that the office has not received any reports about the alleged rape.Â
"As criminal prosecutors, we always encourage all victims of sexual assaults to report these matters to the police for proper investigation," he said. "Having reviewed our records, we found no prior police investigative contacts regarding these allegations or these individuals. We will be reaching out to the pertinent police agencies to determine if they had any prior contacts or investigations. If such police investigations exist, we would certainly be interested in those reports and any related evidence gathered."