Cowboys' C.J. Spillman being investigated for alleged sexual assault

Dallas Cowboys special teams player C.J. Spillman is being investigated for sexual assault stemming from an incident on Sept. 20 in Grapevine, Texas.

"We received a report on the 20th of September for an allegation of sexual assault involving C.J. Spillman and we are continuing our investigation," Sgt. Robert Eberling of the Grapevine Police Dept. said Wednesday night in an interview with Newsday. "Due to the nature of the investigation, we can't release any more details at this time."

Eberling said Spillman has not been charged and was not arrested. Spillman, 28, played in the Cowboys' game against the Rams on Sept. 21 in St. Louis. Spillman also played in the Cowboys' win over the Saints in Dallas last Sunday night.

The alleged assault was first reported by the New York Daily News. The paper reported that the alleged assault took place at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, the Cowboys' team hotel since 2009.

The Cowboys could not be reached for comment.

The day before the alleged assault, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell appeared in New York, his first news conference since the Sept. 8 posting of a video showing former Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee in the elevator of an Atlantic City casino.

Goodell promised the league would do all it could to address the issue of domestic violence in the wake of several recent incidents involving NFL players. Rice, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer and Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy have been deactivated or released by their respective teams.

SEE PHOTOSNFL's longest suspensions

San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald was arrested for allegedly assaulting his pregnant fiancee at a party in August, but he has not been charged. McDonald has played in all four of the 49ers' games this season. The 49ers maintain that McDonald should not be taken off the field because he has not been charged.

The News reported that civil rights attorney Gloria Allred sent a letter to Goodell on Sept. 26, indicating that she represented a woman who had filed a police report alleging an NFL player had raped her. The alleged perpetrator met with police later that day and was accompanied by the Cowboys team official.

"Thereafter, the accused was then allowed by his team to play the following day," the letter said, according to the paper. "We have asked the NFL whether or not this alleged rape was reported to them and if they approved this accused individual's playing in the game notwithstanding the allegations that had been made against him."