Rose accused in court docs of statutory rape in 1970s

Newly uncovered court documents allege that Pete Rose, Major League Baseball’s all-time hit king, committed statutory rape while playing for the Reds in the 1970s.

First reported by ESPN, the statement by a Jane Doe alleges Rose had a sexual relationship with her before she turned 16, the age of consent in Ohio, where the two lived at the time. The statement is part of John Dowd’s defense against Rose’s 2016 defama- tion lawsuit filed against him. As an investigator for MLB, Dowd was behind the report that ultimately got Rose kicked out of baseball for betting on games while he was Reds manager, including those of his own team.

This lawsuit, however, is in relation to Dowd stating in a 2015 radio interview that Rose committed statutory rape with girls between 12 and 14 during spring training.

Rose, who was 34 and married at the time, acknowledged the relationship, but said he believed it started when she was 16. Because the allegation is past Ohio’s statute of limitations, there is no possibility of a criminal charge. Doe’s account states that they had sex outside of Ohio when she was underage — something Rose disputes.

With the lawsuit still ongoing, more details could come out. Rose refused to answer more questions relating to whether he had sex with other high school girls on the grounds of his right to privacy.