Tigers announcer Craig Monroe under investigation for alleged criminal sexual conduct

Craig Monroe, a former Detroit Tigers baseball player and current television and radio analyst covering the team, is under investigation by law enforcement for alleged criminal sexual conduct in Florida, according to documents obtained by the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The news comes weeks after the Tigers and Bally Sports Detroit removed Monroe from broadcasts following sexual assault allegations posted on social media.

In a statement released Tuesday night through a lawyer, Monroe denied the allegations.

Gabriella Ruiz, a spokeswoman for the Charlotte County (Florida) Sheriff's Office, confirmed that authorities were investigating Monroe, but declined to provide additional details.

“This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information is urged to come forward,” Ruiz said in an email Tuesday afternoon, declining to provide additional information.

On Tuesday, the Free Press filed a request with the sheriff's office under Florida public records laws for documents related to Monroe. The file provided is heavily redacted, but indicates that on June 12, someone from the office spoke to a caller about an “alleged sex crime” in Port Charlotte, Florida.

The report states that the investigation description is an “alleged sex crime against a child.”

Monroe most recently worked for Bally Sports Detroit as an analyst covering the Tigers. He was abruptly removed from his position after a June 9 game and has not worked on a television broadcast since.

The Tigers and Bally Sports both confirmed they had removed him from their schedule, citing allegations of misconduct posted on social media.

“Bally Sports Detroit and the Tigers are aware of the allegations on social media and take them seriously. As previously stated, Mr. Monroe has not been on the air and will continue to do so indefinitely. We will have no further comment and all questions should be directed to Mr. Monroe,” the network and team said in a joint statement.

The woman who posted the allegations said in at least one video that she had already contacted police. The Free Press messaged her Saturday via X, formerly Twitter, and she said at the time she was consulting with her attorney. The Free Press reached out to police again Tuesday but has not yet heard back.

Michael Manley, a Monroe attorney in Flint who has represented other former athletes, said in an emailed statement that his client “has no choice but to vehemently deny these allegations.”

“Craig Monroe takes allegations of this nature very seriously and would never commit or tolerate such despicable conduct,” Manley said in part of the statement, stressing that his client would cooperate with law enforcement.

“We hope that law enforcement will uncover the truth about his background and motivations.”

The allegations suggest that Monroe engaged in criminal sexual conduct on multiple occasions beginning when the woman was 12 years old and they both lived in Florida. The woman who posted the messages does not give her full name, but offers detailed descriptions of alleged illegal conduct in video and text form.

Monroe, 47, played outfield for the Tigers from 2002-07. He joined Bally Sports to cover the Tigers in 2012.

Contact Dave Boucher at [email protected] and on X, formerly Twitter, @Dave_Boucher1.

This article was originally published on the Detroit Free Press: Former Detroit Tigers player Craig Monroe under investigation in Florida