Prosecutors move to dismiss aggravated sexual battery charges against Jackson Mahomes
Johnson County prosecutors have filed a motion to dismiss three felony charges of aggravated sexual battery brought against Jackson Mahomes after failed attempts to serve the alleged victim with court papers compelling her to testify.
The alleged victim “has made her lack of cooperation abundantly clear,” according to the motion.
Filed Tuesday in Johnson County District Court, the motion references an affidavit from late November in which the alleged victim, identified in court papers as A.R., said she would not cooperate in the prosecution of Mahomes.
Prosecutors continued to move forward with the case, the motion says, relying on other evidence, including earlier statements to law enforcement and surveillance video of the incident.
Assistant District Attorney Megan Ahsens wrote in the motion Tuesday that prosecutors were “prepared to proceed with the case because victims recant or become uncooperative for a host of reasons and that does not mean that the original account to law enforcement was inaccurate.”
Since then, Ahsens noted that multiple investigators have attempted to serve a subpoena without success, and it has “become clear to the State, through conversations with more than one person in contact with her, that A.R. is actively thwarting attempts to serve her to avoid coming to court.”
Mahomes, 23, is a social media influencer and the younger brother of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Jackson Mahomes was arrested and charged in May with the three felonies stemming from a Feb. 25 incident where Jackson Mahomes allegedly grabbed a woman by the throat and forcibly kissed her in the office of the Overland Park restaurant she owned at the time.
The former restaurant owner, Aspen Vaughn, went public with allegations against Jackson Mahomes in March. She described the encounter in an earlier interview with The Star as unwelcome and shocking.
After sharing her story, Vaughn said she endured death threats, harassment, and vandalism to her restaurant. Aspens Restaurant and Lounge closed its doors in August.
Jackson Mahomes is also accused of assaulting a waiter during the incident. Prosecutors continue to pursue a misdemeanor charge against him for that alleged offense.
In a statement to The Star, defense attorney Brandan Davies said: “Like I said from the beginning, Jackson has done nothing wrong.
“We had full confidence that the truth of the matter would ultimately be revealed,” Davies said. “The defense will reserve further comment until the remaining count is disposed of.”
Jackson Mahomes was scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in Johnson County District Court on Wednesday afternoon.
The Star’s Mike Hendricks and Jenna Thompson contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 2, 2024 at 7:15 PM.
