Former NBA prospect and “Semi-Pro” actor Rashid Byrd, aged 42, has been sentenced to 90 years to life in prison after being found guilty of a series of violent sexual assaults dating back to 2015. His arrest in 2020 by the Los Angeles Police Department followed reports from one of his victims the previous year.
Byrd, who was arrested on September 18, 2020, remained in custody on $4,150,000 bail until his conviction. The LAPD’s investigation revealed a pattern of violent sexual assaults in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties spanning from 2015 to 2020.
In addition to his recent conviction, Byrd had previously been convicted of two other sexual assaults, one in 2010 involving a different victim. Detectives also uncovered a 2005 arrest in Washington State for sexually assaulting a young woman, according to a statement released by the LAPD.
Despite being undrafted in the 2003 NBA Draft, Byrd had brief stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. He also appeared in 21 games during the 2008–2009 D-League season for the Lakers’ development team, scoring 99 points in 299 minutes played.
Byrd’s acting career included a role in the 2009 documentary “Bring Your ‘A’ Game,” alongside Mario Van Peebles, Ice Cube, and Sean “Diddy” Combs. He also had ventures in Europe during his basketball career.
The LAPD expressed gratitude for the courage of Byrd’s victims to come forward and share their stories. They emphasised the importance of Byrd’s incarceration in ensuring public safety and encouraged anyone with information regarding his crimes to come forward.
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