NFL: Former San Francisco 49ers RB Jarryd Hayne is facing 14 years in prison
Former San Francisco 49ers running back Jarryd Hayne is facing up to 14 years in an Australian prison. Jarryd Hayne appeared in eight games for the San Francisco 49ers back in the 2015 NFL season, registering 17 carries for 52 rushing yards in 2015.
Jarryd Hayne decided to walk away from football in 2016 to tryout for Fiji's rugby sevens side. He appeared in five games at the London Sevens at Twickenham in May 2016. Unfortunately for Hayne, he was not a part of the squad that won the Olympic gold medal in Rio.
The former 49ers running back headed back to Australia where he signed with the Gold Coast Titans. Jarryd Hayne is still on the National Rugby League's highlight reel. With the success that Jarryd Hayne has had in rugby and the NFL, why is he facing 14-years in prison?
NFL: Why is Jarryd Hayne facing 14 years in prison?
In late August 2019, Hayne settled a U.S. civil case where he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in California in 2015. However, authorities failed to find enough evidence to convict Jarryd Hayne for the crime. The California woman sued Jarryd Hayne for sexual battery, battery, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence.
This was just the beginning of the end for Jarryd Hayne. He ended up settling in court with the woman for an amount of money that was agreed upon by the two parties.
This takes us to the middle of 2019, when Jarryd Hayne was charged with two counts of sexually assaulting a woman on her bed. Fast forward to November of 2020 and Hayne's accuser testified in court that he had sexually assaulted her in her bed in Newcastle.
The jury in the first trial of Jarryd Hayne's case was discharged after failing to come to a unanimous or majority verdict. After two days of deliberation they still could not come up with a decision on whether this happened or not.
Fast forward to March 22, 2021 when a new jury convicted former San Francisco 49ers running back Jarryd Hayne of sexual assault and he now faces a lengthy prison term. Hayne told reporters that he plans on appealing the guilty verdict. For now, he is looking at 14 years in prison for sexual assault.