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Former Newcastle United striker Nile Ranger has been charged with rape, according to BBC News and other sources.
Ranger was once a promising young star whose time on Tyneside was marred by inconsistent play on the pitch and wildy erratic behavior away from it. His offenses ranged from the very minor (bragging about his bank account on Twitter, then arguing with fans about it) to quite major (multiple assault charges) and spanned the entire spectrum in between (a photo was released of him holding a gun, he made homophobic remarks on Twitter, etc etc). The enigmatic player saw some relatively effective playing time in Europe this season before being let go in March, the club ostensibly washing their hands of a lost cause.
Now it appears that Nile Ranger has been arrested on a very serious charge. The alleged incident took place on January 24 at a hotel in the Jesmond area of Newcastle, according to reports (sport.co.uk). The BBC report notes that Ranger is currently on bail, and his court date is set for August 21.