A former NFL football player was arrested for sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl in Minnesota, according to multiple reports.
Tom Burke, who played four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, is accused of forcing himself on a young girl, according to the Duluth News Tribune. The 44-year-old was arraigned Monday and will be held on $100,000 bail. He is charged with repeated sexual abuse of a 7-year-old girl, according to the criminal complaint.
The 7-year-old victim revealed the assaults to her mother in February and was later interviewed by child services officials who said she teared up as she described the assaults, a criminal complaint cited by the News Tribune said.
The he News Tribune added the former defensive end allegedly touched her inappropriately and performed oral sex. He faces up to 14 years behind bars under state guidelines if he’s convicted.
Burke played at the University of Wisconsin in the late ’90s, was a first-team All-American and had 22 sacks his senior year.
He was picked by the Arizona Cardinals in the 3rd round of the 1999 NFL Draft, but only played in 36 games before bouncing out of the league following the 2002 season.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Burke was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020 after playing on the defensive line from 1995 to 1998. He was a member of the Badgers’ 1998 Big Ten championship team, which won the 1999 Rose Bowl.
