NRL star denies ‘links to sex tapes featuring his ex Penrith teammates’ and reveals he was interviewed over the scandal after a ‘misunderstanding between me and the boys’
- Former Penrith player Corey Harawira-Naera questioned by NRL integrity unit
- Harawira-Naera became involved in investigation due to ‘misunderstanding’
- He said he felt bad for teammates including Tyrone May who were involved
- May has been stood down by the league and charged by police due to sex tapes
- May denies any wrongdoing and the Penrith player has been granted bail
An NRL player who was investigated over the leaking of a series of sex tapes has claimed he became involved in the scandal due to a ‘misunderstanding’.
Penrith Panthers star Tyrone May was charged with allegedly filming and disseminating sexual acts with two women without their consent. He has also been stood down by the NRL.
May denies any wrongdoing and has been granted bail.
Former Panthers player Corey Harawira-Naera was questioned by the league as part of its investigation into the series of sex tapes allegedly involving May and other Penrith players, including Tyrone Phillips and Liam Coleman.
Former Panthers player Corey Harawira-Naera was questioned by the league as part of its investigation into the person responsible for sharing a series of sex tapes
Penrith Panthers star Tyrone May was charged with allegedly filming and disseminating sexual acts with two women without their consent
Harawira-Naera – who now plays for the Canterbury Bulldogs – said he had been cleared of any wrongdoing after speaking with the NRL integrity unit.
‘It was a misunderstanding between me and the boys,’ he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘They tipped me up that I might have a talk to (the NRL) because I was in a group that had seen those kind of videos.’
Harawira-Naera said his name had been mentioned ‘in the media’ and his family were concerned that he was involved.
The player said he felt bad for May after his arrest.
‘To see some of my close mates go through stuff like that – obviously the media bagging [May] and social media as well – it’s hard to see your mate cop that,’ he said.
Harawira-Naera said he had been in contact with May and other players to offer his support.
‘I told them if they needed a chat or anything I’m always here, even though I’m at a different club, we’re still good mates,’ he said.
May was charged after he allegedly filmed a sexual act with a woman at Coffs Harbour in February 2018. May denies the charges.
Tyrone Phillips (right) and Liam Coleman (left) have been named as the two Penrith Panthers players caught up in a sex tape scandal
Police have further alleged that May filmed a sexual act with another woman at Kingswood in May 2018.
Police have been told that the sexual acts were consensual but the women were unaware they were being filmed.
The women became aware of the existence of the videos after they were leaked on social media.
May was granted conditional bail and is due to appear before Penrith Local Court on May 1.
The Panthers believe the videos were leaked by a player at another NRL club.
May’s face is not visible in the footage taken nine months ago but it is understood that NRL investigators identified him from a distinctive tattoo on his arm
The videos, one eight seconds long and one 12 seconds, allegedly show the 22-year-old Penrith Panthers player alongside two women and another man.
May’s face is not visible in the footage taken nine months ago but it is understood that NRL investigators identified him from a distinctive tattoo on his arm.
In one video a man can reportedly be heard swearing at a woman, demanding she perform a sex act on another man and calling her a ‘f*****g ratbag’.
Two other Panthers players – Phillips and Coleman – have also been caught up in a sex tape scandal.
The Penrith Panthers club released a statement confirming they are investigating the video allegedly involving Phillips and Coleman, as the club goes into damage control.
Panthers CEO Brian Fletcher said the club couldn’t guarantee more videos wouldn’t surface and expressed disappointment at the current scandal.
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