LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- E. Javier Loya, a minority owner of the NFL's Houston Texans, who was facing a rape charge and four sexual abuse counts stemming from parties he held at his home in Louisville in May 2022, has pleaded guilty to an amended misdemeanor charge of harassment with physical contact.

Loya, who has been a part-owner of the Texans since they joined the league as an expansion franchise in 2002, agreed to a sentence of 90 days in jail, which will be conditionally discharged as long as he stays out of trouble for the next two years. 

He entered an Alford plea Monday, meaning he maintained his innocence but acknowledged there was enough evidence for a jury to find him guilty. Loya will not be allowed to have any contact with the victims. He also must pay a $100 fine. 

In dismissing the majority of the charges, prosecutors told the judge there were evidentiary issues.

Defense attorney Rob Eggert said both sides agreed the result was a "just decision." 

If Loya stays out of trouble for two years, prosecutors will set aside the guilty plea and he will be able to get the case expunged, or erased from his record.

Loya did not give a statement in court but admitted that on May 16, 2022, he "subjected the victim to physical contact." 

Two victims spoke to Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Ann Bailey Smith, describing what happened to them and how it has affected their lives physically and mentally. 

"I have been fighting in silence for almost two years and I won't anymore," said one of the victims, who WDRB News is not naming. "I know there must be and are multiple other women out there who have suffered at the hands of Enrique Loya. You are not alone and your story matters."

The women said they were told they would be hosting a poker party but when they arrived on May 16, 2022, there was no poker game, just Loya and several of his friends. 

One of the victims said she has suffered from anxiety and depression and has spent thousands on therapy while her marriage has suffered. 

"To this day, my husband has to ask me if he can hug or kiss me because I go into a panic, if I don't expect it," she said. 

Another victim said "this has been the worst experience of my life" and that Loya picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, putting his hands inside her underwear. 

"I've never felt more used and powerless than I did that night and throughout this process," she said. 

A statement from an attorney for Loya said he "immediately and vigorously denied" the allegations. After a thorough examination of evidence over the last year, the prosecution has dismissed" all of the charges besides a misdemeanor.

"While still expressing his innocence, this process has been very difficult for him and his family," according to the statement from attorney Andrew Sarne. "Throughout this ordeal, Mr. Loya had unwavering faith in the legal system despite enduring intense public scrutiny and prejudgment before due process was completely afforded to him. With this resolution, Mr. Loya will focus on family and a return to normality.”

Sarne also said that Loya agreed to step down from football activities and the diversity committee while this matter was pending for nearly a year.

"He has not had a chance to sit down with the Texans or the NFL since the charges were dismissed, but it is something he looks forward to meeting with them about."

Court documents say Loya held two parties for male friends in his Louisville home in May 2022. At both, he hired female models from a local agency, who accused him of sexual abuse.

One of the woman claims he touched her and spoke to her in a sexual manner, grabbing her butt and breasts without her consent, according to court records.

Multiple woman claim Loya touched them, kissed them and pulled their hair, among other allegations. 

Loya was also accused of picking up another woman, throwing her over his shoulders and placing his hands in her underwear.

Along with a charge of first-degree rape, he was charged with five counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of third-degree sexual abuse.

Defense attorneys implied that text messages between the women may show Loya was the victim of a scheme by the women.

Prosecutors did not go into detail during the court hearing about why the charges were dismissed. 

Loya, a Houston businessman who is the co-founder of OTC Global Holdings, an independent commodity broker, graduated from Columbia University in 1991, where he also played football. He became the NFL's first Hispanic owner when he purchased a minority stake in the Texans.

In 2015, during a lawsuit against another company he founded, he was accused of being a high-stakes gambler. The NFL subsequently investigated Loya's activities, and his ownership stake in the Texas was allowed to continue.

This story may be updated.

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