The ongoing saga of Freddie Gibbs in his sexual assault case continues. In June, he was arrested on rape charges regarding an incident that allegedly happened last July. He has since been scheduled for extradition to Austria and subsequently lost the extradition appeal. He’s always maintained his innocence, however, and says he wants to do everything possible to clear his name.
It looks like he’ll get the chance as the Austrian court has formally charged him with sexual abuse, per a report by Metro International.
A spokesman for the Austrian authorities said the official charge was for “sexual abuse of a defenseless or psychologically impaired person” and carries a max sentence of ten years if convicted. It’s being alleged that Gibbs, real name Fredrick Tipton, “administered a knock-out drug” and had sex with her while she was in a “defenseless state.”
Gibbs’ US attorney, Theodore Simon, released a statement after the charges were filed. “While Freddie Gibbs was charged with an offense today, it remains only an allegation,” he said. “It does not in any way change the actual facts that Freddie Gibbs is 100 percent innocent.”
His Austrian lawyer, Thomas Kralik, said his client “neither abused nor had sexual contact with the woman, and that [he] had yet to be formally notified of the charge.”
(Via Reuters)
