Darren Sharper Sexual Assault Update: Five-time NFL Pro Bowler to Serve 9 Years Behind Bars

Darren Sharper, a former NFL safety, has accepted a plea deal and will serve only nine years of his 20-year prison term for sexually assaulting women in four different states.

Sharper, 39, pleaded no contest to the sexual assault charges brought forth in the Californian court. He pleaded guilty on one felony count of attempted sexual assault in Nevada, where he attacked two women. During his court appearance in Phoenix, AZ, which he had to do via video-conference from LA, Sharper pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual assault and one count of sexual assault.

He was also charged with sexual assault in Louisiana. Sharper is expected to plead guilty in Louisiana within next month.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office released this statement: "Sharper entered his plea just as his preliminary hearing was set to begin before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor. He is expected to be sentenced to 20 years in state prison under the terms of a negotiated settlement. Sharper pleaded to two counts of rape by use of drugs and four counts of furnishing a controlled substance." Sharper was facing 33 years on the California charges alone.

The Orleans Parish District Attorney from Louisiana stated that Sharper had "entered into a plea agreement with respect to pending charges in Louisiana as well as the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, and the United States of America."

Sharper will be serving his sentences concurrently.

Sharper was a five-time Pro Bowler. He also has one Super Bowl Championship ring with the New Orleans Saints. After retiring in 2011, Sharper was a NFL Network analyst up until he was arrested in LA.