Former NFL cheerleader Molly Shattuck pleads guilty to raping 15-year-old boy

Fitness guru could face up to 15 years in prison

Molly Shattuck leaves the Sussex County Courthouse, Delaware (AP)

A former NFL cheerleader has pleaded guilty to raping a 15-year-old boy.

Molly Shattuck, 48, who became the oldest cheerleader in NFL history when she joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2005 at the age of 37, will be sentenced in August after admitting to one charge of fourth-degree rape.

Shattuck’s plea was entered days before she was due to begin a trial for several other offences, including the more serious charge of third-degree rape. The Baltimore Sun reports that the other charges were dropped as a result of her guilty plea.

Shattuck, who lives in Maryland, faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender for 25 years in Delaware.

Shattuck must register on the Delaware sex offender list for 25 years (AP)

The victim reportedly told police that Shattuck had entered into a relationship with him in Maryland in May that began on Instagram and culminated in sexual contact at a rented holiday home in Bethany Beach, Delaware, over the Labour Day weekend at the end of August.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Shattuck allegedly performed oral sex on the victim twice during the trip, on which she is also alleged to have provided alcohol to three boys under the legal drinking age. The victim was a pupil at the McDonogh School in Owings Hill, Maryland.

The victim’s family reported Shattuck to the police on September 26, and police officers seized her mobile phone and computer after searching her family home on October 1.

She was arrested on November 5 and charged with two counts of third-degree rape, four of unlawful sexual contact and three of distributing alcohol.

Shattuck’s status as the NFL’s oldest cheerleader made her well known and earned her a reputation as an inspirational figure.

Shattuck was arrested on November 5 (AP)

After finishing her time with the Ravens she spent six years coaching cheerleading before working as a fitness consultant and advocate, publishing a book, Vibrant Living, in February 2014. She appeared on the American version of the show ‘Secret Millionaire’ in 2008, giving away almost $200,000.

She had held a position as a board member of the Baltimore School for the Arts, but resigned following her arrest, and divorced from her businessman husband Mayo Shattuck in November. The couple had three children prior to their separation.

Additional reporting by Associated Press