Josh Giddey of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder won’t face criminal charges related to allegations that he dated an underage girl, police said.
Giddey, 21, was allegedly involved in a relationship with a girl who was 15 or 16 at the time; in California, the age of consent is 18.
The Newport Beach Police Department investigated the matter after the allegations were posted on social media and despite information and photos posted online, police were “unable to corroborate any criminal activity.”
TMZ, which was the first to report that Giddey would not face charges, previously reported that the girl and her family were refusing to cooperate with the police investigation.
In a statement released Wednesday evening, Newport Beach police said detectives had conducted a “thorough and exhaustive examination” of the case. The Police Department, which was relatively quiet throughout the process, said it was committed to “ensuring that accurate information was disseminated to the public, while also ensuring the rights of those involved.”
The Australian star has not commented on the allegations.
“It’s been in Ohio as early as the mid-1850s at least, brought in as an ornamental plant because of its unique foliage and white flowers,” Gardner said. “It was actually planted in people’s landscaping, and it has been spreading.”
Despite the active police investigation, Giddey continued to play for the Thunder who are currently second in the NBA’s Western Conference.
The NBA has previously indicated it was conducting its own independent investigation but commissioner Adam Silver said in December that the league would “take a backseat” and wait for the criminal investigation to conclude.
The league could still suspend the rising star under its player conduct policy, but it remains to be seen if such a punishment will be made.