Before Andy Dalton and A.J. Green arrived in Cincinnati by way of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Bengals had a reputation for having issues off the field thanks to players like Cedric Benson and Jerome Simpson having run-ins with the law. In fact, the Bengals have had more players arrested than any other NFL team since 2000. Although Dalton and Green may represent a new era in the history of the team, the franchise's reputation has been besmirched once again. But this time it's one of the Ben-gals, the team's cheerleading squad, who's in trouble.
Sarah Jones, the captain of the team's cheerleading squad and a former high school teacher in Kentucky, was arrested and indicted on Thursday over allegations of having a sexual relationship with a student, Jim Hannah of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
According to the Enquirer, Jones was indicted for first-degree sexual abuse and unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual or other prohibited acts, both of which are felonies that carry sentences of up to five years in prison.
Jones' mother, Cheryl, was also indicted on a charge of tampering with evidence in her daughter's case, another felony that carries up to five years in prison.
The Jones' attorney said both will plead not guilty.
Click here for more on the case.
Jones made headlines back in 2010 when she sued the web site TheDirty.com for libel. She claimed that the site suggested that she had two sexually transmitted diseases.
The arrest comes just over a week after fellow Ben-gal Laura Vikmanis released a book entitled "It's Not About the Pom-Poms: How a 40-Year-Old Mom Became the NFL's Oldest Cheerleader" and Found Hope, Joy, and Inspiration Along the Way." A film about the 43-year-old Vikmanis is reportedly in the works but perhaps the alleged crimes and courtroom drama of Jones will steal the spotlight.