Local NFL player Nate Allen found innocent of indecent exposure allegations

LEE COUNTY, Fla.- After recent allegations of indecent exposure, the State Attorney’s Office announced Monday that NFL star Nate Allen is innocent.

STATE ATTORNEY’S OFFICE COMMENT:

The State Attorney’s Office (SAO) said “Alenn did not commit an allegation of indecent exposure” and denied a summons request from the Fort Myers police department.

An email from SAO goes on to say that, “on Feb. 17 the State Attorney’s Office received an affidavit and request for a summons for Nathaniel Ray Allen, 27, from the Fort Myers Police Department for a charge of exposure of sexual organs, which is a misdemeanor.”

“The allegations came from an incident last Monday, February 17th. The SAO requested follow-up investigation and information, including video from surveillance cameras along US 41, the 16-year-old victim’s 911 call, and measurements and photographs of the vehicles.”

“After reviewing and evaluating the totality of the evidence received from FMPD, information and evidence provided by Allen through his interviews and his attorney, Sawyer Smith – and through further investigation – Allen could not have been the perpetrator alleged in the reports, according to the SAO.”

State Attorney Steve Russell said in Monday’s statement: “After reviewing the case and situation, Mr. Nate Allen should be commended for his patience, cooperation, and understanding.”

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FORT MYERS POLICE COMMENT:

The Fort Myers Police Department issued a statement on the case Monday as well. In it, they say Allen’s truck matched the description of the vehicle driven by the perpetrator; the driver matched the description provided by the victim and the vehicle was heading from the area of the crime location that was described to police.

FMPD also said in its statement that the victim never wavered in her testimony and identified Allen as the perpetrator of the alleged offense.

Police said they later obtained surveillance videos showing another truck traveling next to the victim’s vehicle at the time of the offense.

“The video evidence clearly indicates that Mr. Allen was not the perpetrator of the offense,” a statement Monday from FMPD said.

FMPD Chief Doug Baker ordered the Professional Standards Bureau of his department to do an administrative review of the incident.

The victim should be commended for her cooperation and willingness to report the offense as well, according to the SAO  statement on Monday.

FMPD is still investigating the incident and asks anyone with information to call them at 239-321-7700. Or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.

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ALLEN’S LAWYER PROVIDES EVIDENCE OF INNOCENCE

Last week, Nate Allen told WINK News, there was no way he did what he was accused of, calling the allegations “disgusting.”

The SAO says part of the confusion in this case, was caused by Allen’s black truck.

The alleged victim told police she was driving past the Edison Mall, when she looked over and saw a man exposing himself.

That man was inside his four door black truck, one similar to Allen’s.

“We set out to conduct our very own aggressive investigation,” said Allen’s attorney Sawyer Smith.

Smith says he always knew his client was innocent, and showed us the evidence to prove it.

It was some of the same evidence the SAO looked at.

First, there was Allen’s credit card statement. It shows Allen paid for dinner at the Fort Myers Red Lobster at 4:47 p.m.

He then took a picture with a former coworker there. The time stamp on the picture was 4:53 p.m. Smith says that’s just one minute before the teen called 911.

Smith says that FMPD also made many more mistakes, including the fact that Allen should have never been held for questioning in the first place, because the crime he was accused of, was just a misdemeanor.

He also says Allen was shown to the victim, without a line-up.

“You ask a 16-year-old girl, assuming no experience in this situation at all, to identify the person she saw out on the street and then they show her one guy. He’s in handcuffs, surrounded by cops,” said Smith.

The SAO did address FMPD’s identification process calling it quote “inherently suggestive and leads to potential misidentification.”

WINK News exclusively spoke to Allen’s best friend, Mike Padilla, who says he was on the phone with the Philadelphia Eagles star  when he was pulled over and says there is no way Allen could have been masturbating with the window rolled down.

“I have talked to him when he has the window rolled down before and when he hasn’t and in that case I can tell you 100% that the window was not rolled down,” said Padilla.

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SUSPECT STILL ON THE LOOSE

FMPD says it’s still looking for the man in the other truck.

He is described as a male in his 40s to 50s, with a grey white goatee.

He is driving either a Ford F-150 or F-250.