The Texans’ quarterback faces 22 civil suits describing sexual harassment and sexual assault.
A judge reportedly signed search warrants for several of Deshaun Watson’s social media accounts, according to ABC13.com.
The warrants reportedly include access to all platforms owned by Facebook, such as Instagram, and Cash App, and details allegations from nine women that the Texans quarterback coerced them into sexual encounters.
As of Dec. 17, Watson has not been charged with a crime, although Houston police and the FBI have reportedly been investigating him. At least one of the plaintiffs in Watson’s civil cases accused him of deleting messages, and, per ABC13.com, investigators want to access the deleted information as well. The time frame for the warrants—from Sept. 1, 2019, through Jan. 1, 2021—aligns with the incidents listed in the civil lawsuits.
From March 16 until April 14, 23 lawsuits were filed against the Texans quarterback describing sexual harassment and sexual assault, including one from this past March.
One lawsuit was dropped by a plaintiff “for now,” according to court documents, “in light of privacy and security concerns.”
These civil lawsuits currently on the Harris County District Clerk's website include allegations that range from Watson refusing to cover his genitals to forcing women to put his penis in their mouth. The news of the first filing broke on the evening of March 16 after Houston attorney Tony Buzbee disclosed the news on social media, and details of the first lawsuit came out the following morning.
Watson is still on the Texans’ roster but has not played for the franchise this season as the legal process continues to unfold. There were rumors that he would get traded to the Dolphins, but the move did not play out ahead of the trade deadline.
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