Police in Las Vegas investigating soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for a 2009 rape allegation requested a warrant to arrest him, but the local district attorney declined to pursue the case, according to newly uncovered documents.
Kathryn Mayorga has accused the Manchester United and Portugal forward of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009.
Ronaldo, 37, has vehemently denied Mayorga's claims, saying that 'rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything I am and believe in.'
Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and his rape accuser Kathryn Mayorga (right) pictured on the night the pair met in Las Vegas in 2009 and the alleged rape took place. Las Vegas police had sought to arrest the soccer star, but the DA declined to prosecute
In this June 2009, Ronaldo is pictured with Mayorga in Rain Nightclub in Las Vegas. The soccer star has denied raping the woman
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated Mayorga's accusations, and an officer submitted an affidavit requesting that a warrant be issued for Ronaldo's arrest for a sexual assault.
Mayorga's lawyer said in court Clark County DA Steve Wolfson (pictured) declined to prosecute Ronaldo, citing insufficient evidence
According to a court transcript from a September 2021 hearing, reviewed by DailyMail.com and first reported on by The Sun, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson declined to prosecute, even though police 'believed they had a case,' Mayorga's attorney, Leslie Stovall, told the court.
'What happened is when that was submitted to the district attorney's office, Mr. Wolfson declined to prosecute,' Stovall said during the September 17 hearing.
'He doesn't say why he decided to decline and anything -- any argument is just speculation. It was within the statute of limitations.
'The police believed that they had a case to prosecute for one count of sexual assault and the DA decided not to.'
Mayorga's claims were investigated by the police twice - in 2009 and 2018. Wolfson reviewed the case again in 2019 and concluded there was not enough evidence to prove the rape charge against Ronaldo beyond a reasonable doubt.
'Therefore, no charges will be forthcoming,' Wolfson said in a statement in July of that year.
The Manchester United forward (pictured during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Southampton FC in Manchester on February 12) reached a $373,000 settlement with his accuser 12 years ago
Ronaldo is pictured with his girlfriend, model Georgia Rodriguez, who has stood by him
The loved-up pair shared a passionate kiss on Valentine's Day, as seen in this photo that Ronaldo shared on Monday on his Instagram page
Mayorga accused Ronaldo of raping her at the Palms Hotel and Casino on June 12, 2009.
Ronaldo has maintained that the sexual encounter with Mayorga was consensual.
DA Wolfson said in his July 2019 statement that following the alleged rape, Mayorga refused to name her attacker, or tell police where the crime occurred.
'As a result, the police were unable to follow investigative protocols for sexual assault cases or to conduct any meaningful investigation,' the prosecutor stated.
'Without knowing the identity of the perpetrator or the location of the crime, detectives were unable to search and impound vital forensic evidence. In addition, video evidence showing interactions between the victim and perpetrator before and after the alleged crime, was lost.
'The criminal investigation was closed.'
According to The Mirror and the German publication Der Spiegel, Ronaldo, who has raked in more than $1billion in career earnings and is the third highest paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes, reached a civil settlement with Mayorga in 2010 for $373,839.
At the height of the #MeToo movement in 2018, Mayorga sought to scrap the original settlement. She is now seeking nearly $76million in damages and costs.
Also in 2018, Wolfson said Mayorga contacted the Las Vegas police, asked to reopen her case from 2009 and named Ronaldo as her rapist.
'In spite of the passage of over nine years, Metro investigated her allegations,' Wolfson wrote. A request for prosecution was submitted to the DA's Office on July 8, 2019.
'Based upon a review of the information presented at this time, the allegation of sexual assault against Cristian Ronaldo cannot be proven beyond a resonable doubt. Therefore, no charges will be forthcoming,' Wolfson stated.
Ronaldo, pictured with his girlfriend and four children, has been trying to stop the New York Times from publishing Las Vegas police records related to the Mayorga case
Ronaldo's girlfriend, 26-year-old Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez, has stood by him over Mayorga's claims. The pair were photographed sharing a passionate kiss on Valentine's Day.
In recent years, Ronaldo, a father-of-four, and his legal team have been waging a battle in court to prevent the New York Times from publishing police files pertaining to the Mayorga case.
The star athlete's lawyers argue that the information was obtained illegally by the website Football Leaks and was a breach of attorney-client privilege.
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