Telvin Smith has reached a plea agreement after his arrest last April for unlawful sexual activity with minors, a second-degree felony in the state of Florida.
The former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker pled no-contest to the lower charge of child abuse and was given three years of probation. As part of the plea agreement, Smith maintains his innocence, his attorney, Hank Coxe, said, according to ESPN’s Mike DiRocco.
“Great player. Great person. Great father,” Coxe said in a statement. “Huge fan of this town. He will move on and do fine.”
He was also ordered to pay $516 in court costs, according to WJAX, the CBS affiliated station in Jacksonville.
Smith was initially arrested on April 29, 2020 following a sixth-month investigation that revealed he sexually abused a 17-year-old girl multiple times, both in his home and vehicle. Smith had knowledge of the girl’s age, according to a warrant.
According to the warrant, Smith offered her money to keep quiet. The girl said she initially declined the monetary offer but agreed to take $100. He then convinced the girl to tell people he was serving as her mentor. She said Smith contacted her again several days after their initial meeting and they allegedly engaged in multiple sexual acts in his vehicle.
The girl told a friend and a family member about the incident, which led to a family member telling officers the teenager had sex with Smith. They would take her to get emergency contraception that same night.
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As part of his plea agreement, he must undergo psychosexual counseling and must not contact the 17-year-old girl, as well as any other girls under the age of 18 that aren’t family members until approved by counselors.
