Adrian Peterson's Lawyer Calls New Abuse Report 'Unsubstantiated'
Team says it was aware of the earlier allegation.
— -- Adrian Peterson's lawyer called a new report claiming that the star Minnesota Vikings running back was accused of abusing another of his children "unsubstantiated," and the team said it was aware of the allegation when it reinstated him Monday after he was benched for one game.
According to KHOU-TV in Houston, the allegations involve a 4-year-old boy who was visiting him in June 2013 at his home in The Woodlands, Texas.
The boy is Peterson's son by a different woman from the boy he allegedly injured in a spanking in May. That case led to Peterson being charged with reckless or negligent injury to a child for allegedly spanking his 4-year-old son with a switch, causing numerous injuries.
Peterson's lawyer Rusty Hardin said in a statement Monday that the running back is not being investigated for the alleged June 2013 incident.
"The allegation of another investigation into Adrian Peterson is simply not true," Peterson's lawyer Rusty Hardin said in a statement. "This is not a new allegation, it's one that is unsubstantiated and was shopped around to authorities in two states over a year ago and nothing came of it. An adult witness adamantly insists Adrian did nothing inappropriate with his son. There is no ongoing or new investigation."
The Vikings, who announced Monday that they were reinstating Peterson after he sat out Sunday's game, said they were already aware of the allegation in the new report.
"As part of the information we have gathered throughout this process, we were made aware of an allegation from 2013 in which authorities took no action against Adrian," the team statement said. "We will defer any further questions to Adrian's attorney Rusty Hardin."
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The Vikings benched the star running back for last week's game but announced that he will be reinstated this week. His next hearing is on Wednesday and he has not yet entered a plea.