LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rashid Byrd, a former NBA player and actor, has been sentenced to 90 years to life in prison for a string of violent sexual assaults, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
The investigation into Byrd began in 2019 after a victim reported being sexually assaulted by him, as reported by deadline.com. LAPD disclosed that Byrd’s criminal history includes a 2010 conviction for sexual assault involving another victim and an arrest for sexually assaulting a young woman in Washington State in 2005.
Detectives revealed that Byrd initially captivated his victims with charm, leveraging his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity before turning to acts of violence.
“He started as a charmer, playing up his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity, but that quickly faded into rapes and violence,” said the lead investigator on the case.
Byrd, known for his roles in the 2008 Will Ferrell-starring basketball comedy “Semi-Pro” and the documentary short “Bring Your ‘A’ Game,” as well as his stint with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League in the 2008-2009 season, was apprehended by LAPD detectives in 2020 for sexual assault.
The 39-year-old received the 90-year to life sentence for the violent sexual assaults committed in both L.A. and Santa Clara counties.
