Former Auburn University basketball standout and Abbeville native Christopher (Chris) Bernard Porter, 42, was arrested in Dothan on Saturday for a first-degree sexual abuse charge.
Arrest records show the charge stems from an allegation he fondled a female teenager.
Dothan Police Maj. Will Benny said the victim was 18 years old, but declined to comment on the circumstances of the alleged abuse to protect the victim’s identity.
“We responded to a complaint. It was investigated and a warrant was signed,” Benny said. “Apparently, he was in Indiana, word got to him about the warrant, and he came down and turned himself in.”
Porter was released from jail after posting a $15,000 bond.
Porter hasn’t had any major run-ins with local law enforcement since 2010 when he was arrested for possession of marijuana and DUI in Henry County.
Porter has played professionally in the minor league Continental Basketball Association, and also overseas.
At Auburn, he was named SEC Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds in leading the Tigers to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. During his senior year, he was ruled ineligible prior to the SEC Tournament for allegedly accepting money from a sports agent.
After being chosen by Golden State as the 55th pick in the NBA Draft, Porter went on to average 8.6 points and six rebounds during his rookie season before being traded to Charlotte.
He last played for the Hawke’s Bay Hawks in New Zealand’s NBL in 2016 until a hamstring injury cut his season short.
Christopher Bernard Porter, 42, of Abbeville
