Court document alleges Pete Rose committed statutory rape in 1970s

A court document alleges disgraced MLB great Pete Rose committed statutory rape in the 1970s, according to ESPN's William Weinbaum.

An unidentified woman alleged in a sworn statement that she and Rose had a sexual relationship before she turned 16, which lasted several years. The statement is part of a motion in John Dowd's defense against Rose, who is suing Dowd for defamation.

Court documents made public Monday show Rose acknowledges having a sexual relationship with the woman, but that it began in 1975, when she was 16, and when Rose was 34 and married with two kids.

"Jane Doe" alleges she had sex with Rose in Ohio and other states when she was under 16, while Rose says relations took place only in Ohio. The age of consent in the state is 16.

There's no possibility Rose will be charged with a crime, due to Ohio's statute of limitations.

Rose is suing Dowd after Dowd claimed in 2015 that Rose had sexual relations with underage girls during his years in spring training. Rose has denied all the allegations.