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Saturday, December 13, 1997

Lineman Nate Newton sues accuser

By Ed Housewright / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS -- Dallas Cowboys' lineman Nate Newton has filed a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages from a Grand Prairie woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her.

A Dallas County grand jury in September declined to indict Newton on the allegations.

The civil suit, filed Tuesday, alleges "malicious prosecution," extortion and blackmail.

It follows a lawsuit filed in October in Denton County by the woman, alleging "assault, battery and nonconsensual sex" and "intentional infliction of emotional distress." It seeks unspecified damages.

"Nate Newton, I don't think anybody would have to guess, has incurred some significant expense, plus humiliation to himself and his family," said Newton's attorney, Howard Shapiro. "This has cost him advertising dollars and a lot of emotional distress, as well as what he's had to pay me."

The woman's attorney, Bryan McDonald, declined to comment on Newton's suit.

The 31-year-old woman told police in August that she and Newton, 35, mutually broke off a yearlong relationship in May. She said he came to her trailer park uninvited the night of June 14 and sexually assaulted her for more than an hour.

The woman initially asked for $80,000 to settle the dispute and later demanded $650,000 in a letter from her attorneys, Shapiro said.

He said he hoped the dispute was over after the grand jury declined to indict Newton.

"I said from day one this was all about money -- period, exclamation point," Shapiro said. "She's proving me to be quite the soothsayer."

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(c) 1997, The Dallas Morning News.

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