Former Tigers' Pitcher Evan Reed Says He Was Blindsided By Sex Assault Claims

Former Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Evan Reed, charged with two counts of sexual assault, told reporters Thursday he has been “blindsided” by the allegations against him and suggested the woman at the center of the case is seeking attention by going after a professional athlete.

Reed, 28, turned himself into authorities Thursday, a day after Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said her office was formally charging the athlete, who now pitches for the minor league Toledo Mud Hens, with two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The charges stem from a March 30 encounter with a 45-year-old woman at a Royal Oak bar that ended in his hotel room at the Motor City Casino Hotel. She claimed she had been drugged and raped; Reed says the encounter was consensual.

“She always knew who I was,” Reed said during a press conference Thursday, according to a report in The Detroit News. “It was no secret. That was established at the bar. I have no idea what her motive is. She’s a mother. She has children. I don’t know her life or story. I don’t care to know it at this point. Status, attention, I don’t know what her thinking is.”

Earlier Thursday, Reed was arraigned in a videoconference in 36th District Court. Judge Renee McDuffee set bond at 10 percent of $50,000 and said Reed may continue to travel with the Mud Hens.

Reed was sent down to the Tigers’ minor league Triple-A affiliate in June. Tigers General Manager Brad Ausmus said at the time that the allegations against Reed weren’t a factor in his demotion, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Reed’s attorney, Ben Gonek, blasted Worthy’s office during the press conference

“I can tell you that practicing law in Wayne County for 25 years, I’ve seen good and bad decisions come from the (prosecutor’s) office,” he said. “This is the most ridiculous I’ve seen.”

The alleged victim told police that Reed and some unnamed invited her and a female friend to join them in a booth at the bar, The Detroit News said. They had several drinks and she danced with Reed.

“At some point (at the bar), the (woman) finished an alcoholic drink and began to feel odd,” Worthy said in a news release given to reporters at a Wednesday news conference announcing the charges. When questioned, she declined to say if prosecutors have evidence that the woman was drugged.

But the alleged victim told police she reportedly doesn’t remember anything until she woke up lying naked next to Reed in his hotel room the next morning. Reed allegedly assaulted her at 7:30 a.m. on the morning of March 31 – opening day at Comercia Park for the Detroit Tigers – and then told her to leave the hotel room, according to the release.

The charges against Reed are brought under the theory that he had sexual intercourse with the woman with the knowledge that she was unable to consent. If convicted, he could spend up to 15 years in prison.

On Thursday, Reed said they idea that he drugged the woman “is ridiculous.”

“I did nothing wrong,” he said. “I did nothing that was forced.”

Reed’s preliminary examination is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Aug 12.

The Tigers declined to comment on Reed’s standing with the ball club when approached by The Detroit News. He is still listed as active on the Mud Hens’ web site.

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PHOTO: At a news conference Thursday, former Detroit Tigers and current Toledo Mud Hens pitcher Evan Reed and his attorneys blasted the Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for criminal sexual conduct charges filed against the athlete. (Photo: Leon Halip/Getty Images)