Former WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz was accused of rape in September.
[CW: The following article details reports of sexual assault]
According to the VC Star sexual assault charges filed against boxer Victor Ortiz, 33, were dismissed by prosecutors in Ventura County, CA on Monday. Court records show that the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office dropped the felony charges because they could not prove them beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ortiz turned himself into police in Oxnard, CA in September after he was charged with counts of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and forcible digital penetration. The charges stemmed from an investigation into claims made by a woman who said she spent time with Ortiz at his home in Tarzana in March.
Ortiz plead not guilty to all charges and was released from jail on a $100,000 bond.
Mark Pachowicz, Ortiz’s attorney, said “From the time that we got involved our focus has been to obtain evidence that we believed would exonerate our client and lead to a motion by the people to dismiss this case.”
Senior Deputy District Attorney Brent Nibecker said that the decision to drop these charges does not mean that Ortiz was found factually innocent.
Nibecker added that information provided by the defense and evidence uncovered during the prosecution’s investigation led to the dismissal.
News of Ortiz’s arrest broke days before he was set to fight John Molina in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions card. Ortiz, who withdrew from that event, has not fought since taking a draw alongside Devon Alexander on February 17, 2018.
Ortiz won the vacant WBO-NABO light welterweight title in 2008 with a TKO over Roberto David Arrieta. That win took his record to 22-1-1. He defended that title once and then lost to Marcos Maidana, in 2009, for the vacant WBA interim light welterweight title.
In 2011, Ortiz took his record to 29-2-2 with a decision win over Andre Berto to claim the WBC welterweight title. Ortiz lost that belt a few months later after he was knocked out (in controversial fashion) by Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Since losing to Mayweather Ortiz’s record has been 3-3-1, resulting in his curent record of 32-6-3.Survivors of sexual assault can find support via the following organizations:
US – Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)’s National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). RAINN also has an online chat service.
Love is Respect, 1-866-331-9474. They can also be reached via online chat or by texting LOVEIS to 22522.
End Rape on Campus (EROC), 1-424-777-EROC (3762).
Canada – Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, 1-877-232-2610.
UK – UK Says No More.
Rest of the World – International Rape Crisis Hotlines.