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Deshaun Watson - From the Penthouse to ?


Bobref

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I find this story fascinating and, therefore deserving of it’s own thread.

The story, to me, represents a true cultural clash - a superstar athlete who, by all prior accounts was a solid citizen, and who was widely hailed for taking a principled stand against the Houston organization’s internal dysfunction. Ordinarily, we bend over backwards giving guys like that the benefit of the doubt. But juxtapose that with what’s going on in our “woke” and “me too” society, and you have diametrically opposing sentiments now rubbing against each other (Sorry, couldn’t resist that. I have poor impulse control.)

How it’s going to play out is yet to be seen. But my guess is that if these women look and sound credible, civil lawsuits are not at the top of his list of worries. Rather, he’s not going to have to decide whether to sit out the season or play for Houston. The NFL will make that decision for him.

The attorney who has sued Deshaun Watson is holding a presser today, and has said 9 women have now come forward to press sexual misconduct claims against Watson. That is an awful lot of smoke for there not to be any fire.

https://www.tmz.com/2021/03/18/deshaun-watson-lawsuit-sexual-assault-masseuse-third-woman-nfl-texans/

DESHAUN WATSONSEXUAL ASSAULT ACCUSER LIST GROWS
Lawyer Claims 9 Women Coming Forward

The attorney representing the 3 women who have filed sexualmisconduct lawsuits against Deshaun Watson now says the total number of accusers has ballooned to NINE.

"The Buzbee Law Firm has now been hired by nine women to bring cases against Deshaun Watson," attorney Tony Buzbee says ... noting, "The allegations are similar."

"We have filed three [lawsuits], and, as we complete our due diligence, will file the remaining ones in due course."

Buzbee says the firm is talking with "several others" and praises his clients as "brave women who are wiling to come forward and be heard."

The allegations against NFL superstar Deshaun Watson are piling up ... a third female masseuse has filed a lawsuit against the QB, claiming he forced her to perform oral sex during a Dec. 2020 encounter.

The woman, who filed her suit under the pseudonym Jane Doe to protect her identity, claims Watson reached out on Instagram to set up a session.

The woman says the two agreed to an appointment at a Houston, Texas office building on Dec. 28, 2020 at 10 a.m.

Jane Doe -- who claims she was newly engaged and had just graduated chiropractic school -- says her mother dropped her off at the job, and then she met Watson ... and that's when she claims things immediately got weird.

The woman says Watson insisted she focus on massaging his "inner thighs" and "inner glutes" -- while repeatedly telling her he's a professional football player.

She claims Watson "got more aggressive" -- and eventually "coerced [Jane Doe] to move her mouth toward his penis, forcing [Jane Doe] to perform oral sex on him."

The woman claims she never consented to the sex act ... and actually "blacked out for a few minutes from the fear."

In her suit, the woman claims she was so terrified, she defecated on herself.

The woman says Watson got up, got dressed and left as if nothing happened.

The woman is suing for sexual assault, civil assault and intentional inflection of emotional distress.

It's the third lawsuit filed against Watson by attorney Tony Buzbee ... who claims there are at least 3 other women who will be taking legal action against the Houston Texans player.

Watson has not been arrest nor charged with a crime ... and has adamantly denied all wrongdoing, insisting Buzbee is just trying to score an unwarranted payday for the women.

The other two lawsuits that have been previously filed against Watson contain similar allegations -- with two massage therapists alleging sexual misconduct against the QB during massage sessions that were initiated over social media

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3 hours ago, Bobref said:

But juxtapose that with what’s going on in our “woke” and “me too” society, and you have diametrically opposing sentiments now rubbing against each other (Sorry, couldn’t resist that. I have poor impulse control.)

 

100%. Most of what I've seen from the SJW's on Twitter is support for Watson and asking for all facts to come out before casting judgment. Completely opposite of the narrative on Brett Cavanaugh. I've been following loosely. Have any factuals details (Texts, etcs) been provided? 

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40 minutes ago, Boilernation said:

100%. Most of what I've seen from the SJW's on Twitter is support for Watson and asking for all facts to come out before casting judgment. Completely opposite of the narrative on Brett Cavanaugh. I've been following loosely. Have any factuals details (Texts, etcs) been provided? 

I’ve heard there is electronic information making and confirming appointments. But I haven’t heard of anything that sounds incriminating.

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1 hour ago, Whiting89 said:

I find all this hard to believe there is essentially prostitution at your fingertips via google search of escorts. If that’s what he wanted why wouldn’t he just do that instead of risking so much?

Or he could have also just gone to a massage parlor like the owner of the Patriots Robert Kraft did.

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6 hours ago, Whiting89 said:

I find all this hard to believe there is essentially prostitution at your fingertips via google search of escorts. If that’s what he wanted why wouldn’t he just do that instead of risking so much?

Maybe it was consensual and a shady lawyer is trying to cash in on it. So many different possible storylines. I will say why fly a massage therapist in from Atlanta to Houston if it isn’t sexual? 

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The number of lawsuits has grown to 12, and the attorney says he has been contacted by “more than 10” additional women reporting similar encounters. So, let’s put the over/under on accusers who actually come out at 21-1/2. Waddya’ got?

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31094724/lawyer-says-civil-lawsuits-houston-texans-qb-deshaun-watson-12

Lawyer says lawsuits against Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson up to 12

Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee said during a news conference Friday that he will be filing an additional five lawsuits against Deshaun Watson "in due course" -- bringing the number of total cases to 12 alleging inappropriate conduct and sexual assault by the Texans' quarterback.

Buzbee also said he has spoken to "more than 10 additional women" who have come forward with reports about similar conduct from Watson after encounters.

Buzbee said alleged inappropriate conduct by Watson has happened as recently as this month, which was after the first time Buzbee said he spoke to Watson's lawyer Scott Gaffield. Watson has since hired Houston attorney Rusty Hardin.

Buzbee said during the news conference that his office has been in contact with police and that he would provide information to them about the women who intend to sue Watson. The Houston Police Department said in a statement posted to Twitter later Friday that it was unaware of any contact it had with Buzbee regarding the allegations or the filings of any incident reports. Buzbee later wrote on social media that the contact he referenced earlier was with a detective he knows who reached out to him.

Buzbee also said he is not aware of any police reports filed before the civil suits.

"That's going to be our next step," Buzbee said, noting he will do so when his clients are ready but without offering a timeline on when that would be.

Buzbee said Watson's representatives have known about the allegations for more than a month.

"We actually had contact with Deshaun Watson's agent/lawyer from Los Angeles, who minimized these allegations, who did not take them seriously," Buzbee said. "We wanted to resolve this matter without a lawsuit, without any publicity. We knew that once we filed a lawsuit -- Texas, of course, has an open courts provision in the constitution, so all lawsuits are public. We wanted to avoid that."

Hardin on Friday issued a statement saying the allegations against Watson are "meritless."

"I'm extremely proud to represent Deshaun Watson and wholly stand behind him against what we believe are meritless allegations," Hardin's statement said. "However, we will wait to comment in detail until we've completed our review of the numerous, evolving allegations from Mr. Buzbee. We will respond next week and ask you to keep an open mind until we do so."

After Buzbee's announcement of the first lawsuit Tuesday, Watson responded on Twitter by saying that he rejected "a baseless six-figure settlement demand" and that this is "about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that." At the time of his statement, Watson said he had not seen the first lawsuit.

"I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect," Watson said in his statement.

In Friday's news conference, Buzbee said one of the women said Watson was referred to her by a Texans athletic trainer, while another woman said Watson was referred to her by Quincy Avery, Watson's personal quarterback coach and athletic trainer.

Buzbee said that when he filed the first lawsuit on Tuesday night, he was representing only two women. Since then, the other women have come forward.

NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy on Thursday said "the matter is under review" of the league's personal conduct policy, and the Texans said they would stay in close contact with the NFL during the league's investigation. Buzbee said that he has not had any contact with the Texans and that the only contact with the NFL has been the letter he received from Lisa Friel, the league's special counsel for investigations.

Buzbee has yet to directly respond to the NFL's request to interview him and his clients, league sources told ESPN's Ed Werder, although he vowed cooperation in his news conference. The NFL protocol would also involve an eventual interview with Watson.

Under terms of the NFL personal conduct policy, Watson could be punished if the league determines the allegations are true, regardless of the outcome in court, but a source told Werder that it's premature to discuss what the allegations could mean for Watson's future.

While there has been speculation that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could place Watson on the exempt list, that is not believed to be a current option because the NFL offseason has begun and that process was designed to remove players facing potential disciplinary action from practices and games.

The seven lawsuits filed so far depict a pattern of sexual assault against massage therapists in the Houston area. One woman alleges she was forced into oral sex during the course of the massage. Six of the lawsuits allege these were one-time encounters with Watson, but one woman alleges she was sexually assaulted by Watson on multiple occasions. That lawsuit says the first massage was booked through the spa where the licensed aesthetician worked. The six other lawsuits allege Watson first inquired about the massage through Instagram direct messages.

Three of the four lawsuits filed Thursday night accuse him of inappropriate contact; the fourth said he forcibly tried to kiss a woman.

"Watson's behavior is part of a disturbing pattern of preying on vulnerable women," the fourth lawsuit reads.

All of the women who have filed lawsuits against Watson to this point have done so anonymously. Many of them allege they were intimidated by his physical stature and his status as an NFL quarterback.

Buzbee said Friday that three of the women his law firm represents "are undergoing intensive therapy as a result of the defendant's conduct."

Watson's agent, David Mulugheta, posted on Twitter on Friday.

"Sexual assault is real. Victims should be heard, offenders prosecuted," Mulugheta posted Friday. "Individuals fabricate stories in pursuit of financial gain often. Their victims should be heard, and those offenders also prosecuted. I simply hope we keep this same energy with the truth."

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There are several things that make me wonder what is going on. The timing of this is just odd. Watson wants out in the worst way because the owner is a turd. And at one time, we now have, according to the attorney, 22 women who he has filed suits for, or is preparing to do so. It just seems like overkill. Why all of the sudden they are coming forward now? I don’t doubt he has made visits, but we all know that tales of massage parlor visits all have happy endings. 🤣 I have to think with so many women now making these claims, we should have heard a few of these cases come out before now. If the owner wanted to trash the guy, then pay off 3 or 4; at most 6. At this point, the more that the attorney represents, the less credibility I am giving to the whole thing. Again, timing is everything. 

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Kudos to Ryan Pace for staying away from this thug.  Appears the Bears did their due diligence.  Andy Dalton is looking more like Joe Montana with each passing moment.

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Today’s update:

The attorney for the alleged victims says he will turn over affidavits from his clients and other “evidence,” to the cops and the DA on Monday.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31103625/lawyer-representing-women-plans-submit-evidence-affidavits-deshaun-watson-case-monday

The upfront offer of affidavits from his clients — in lieu of police interviews — is a nice strategy at this point. He has 100% control over the substantive content of the affidavits and, just as importantly, how it comes across. Not so in a live interview session.

There was no description of what he meant by “evidence.” I’m guessing he’s referring to text messages, social media posts, e-mails, etc. Although, if you were inclined to give vent to your imagination ...

More troubling (to me) is that the attorney has “requested” the DA to convene a grand jury to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against Watson. I do not know Texas criminal law or procedure. The Rules of Professional Conduct forbid a lawyer to threaten to initiate criminal proceedings in order to gain advantage for a client in a civil matter. I can’t say that occurred, but the news accounts made me raise an eyebrow.

Today’s real loser? Let’s just say that the Commish sweated through his suit jacket before noon at the prospect of one of the League’s brightest young, black, solid citizen, outspoken on social justice issues, face-of-a-franchise players being charged with multiple sex-related felonies. The pressure is going to mount on him to do something.

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11 hours ago, Bobref said:

Or ... sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

Pace needs something positive to boast about.  Lets give him the benefit of the doubt.

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2 hours ago, Bobref said:

Today’s update:

The attorney for the alleged victims says he will turn over affidavits from his clients and other “evidence,” to the cops and the DA on Monday.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31103625/lawyer-representing-women-plans-submit-evidence-affidavits-deshaun-watson-case-monday

The upfront offer of affidavits from his clients — in lieu of police interviews — is a nice strategy at this point. He has 100% control over the substantive content of the affidavits and, just as importantly, how it comes across. Not so in a live interview session.

There was no description of what he meant by “evidence.” I’m guessing he’s referring to text messages, social media posts, e-mails, etc. Although, if you were inclined to give vent to your imagination ...

More troubling (to me) is that the attorney has “requested” the DA to convene a grand jury to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against Watson. I do not know Texas criminal law or procedure. The Rules of Professional Conduct forbid a lawyer to threaten to initiate criminal proceedings in order to gain advantage for a client in a civil matter. I can’t say that occurred, but the news accounts made me raise an eyebrow.

Today’s real loser? Let’s just say that the Commish sweated through his suit jacket before noon at the prospect of one of the League’s brightest young, black, solid citizen, outspoken on social justice issues, face-of-a-franchise players being charged with multiple sex-related felonies. The pressure is going to mount on him to do something.

What is that saying about rocks and glass houses?

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The tally of lawsuits is now up to 13, with one of them alleging conduct that occurred as recently as only 18 days ago. This story summarizes the allegations of the lawsuits. Watson is in real trouble here. The allegations made by all of these women, who didn’t know one another, are disturbingly similar. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31113664/summary-lawsuits-deshaun-watson

If true, the allegations indicate something terribly wrong with this guy. Think about it. If it was only about sex, it doesn’t make sense. This guy is a 25 yr. old, handsome, fit, black man who is a celebrity and makes $40 million/yr. I sincerely doubt that if it were just about sex he’d have to resort to hiring massage therapists. Face it, this guy can get sex pretty much anytime he wants to. If these allegations are true, they speak to some sort of pathology or deviance. The money he’s going to have to pay to settle these lawsuits is going to be considerable. But it will pale compared to what this could cost him in terms of his career. The best case scenario I see coming out of this is making the lawsuits go away by paying them off, a lengthy suspension by the League, and him skulking out of Houston under cover of darkness (which he wanted to do anyway). Right now his primary goal should be avoiding criminal prosecution. If he has to stand trial for criminal sex offenses, in the current climate, I think his career is over.

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Some things still don’t add up though. I am sure he made the appointments. But anyone that offers service in hotels?????? A couple of them were repeat visits. That tells me they knew what was going on, especially when something happened the first time. The one said she had to leave and compose herself after he kissed her? But then she went through with the appointment? 
 

My guess is the attorney is hoping for a settlement. If this goes to court, many of them will get hammered on cross examination. 
 

Watson may face discipline regardless at this point. He might as well let the cases go to court. 
 

You are right though Bob, they are similar. I could also see that as a problem for the plaintiffs’ attorney. I am thinking the stories could vary a little more, and that the same basic story is used over and over. 
 

 

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20 minutes ago, Irishman said:

Some things still don’t add up though. I am sure he made the appointments. But anyone that offers service in hotels?????? A couple of them were repeat visits. That tells me they knew what was going on, especially when something happened the first time. The one said she had to leave and compose herself after he kissed her? But then she went through with the appointment? 
 

My guess is the attorney is hoping for a settlement. If this goes to court, many of them will get hammered on cross examination. 
 

Watson may face discipline regardless at this point. He might as well let the cases go to court. 
 

You are right though Bob, they are similar. I could also see that as a problem for the plaintiffs’ attorney. I am thinking the stories could vary a little more, and that the same basic story is used over and over. 
 

His problem, from a tactical standpoint, is that he’s fighting a 3-front war: civil suits, potential criminal prosecution, and NFL discipline. His best defense from a criminal standpoint is probably that the acts were consensual. But to make that defense he will basically be admitting to multiple violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Another potential issue that I haven’t heard anyone mention yet is his contract status. Most player contracts have some sort of a morality clause in them. He could find himself at odds with the Texans over his contract as a result of this situation.

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29 minutes ago, Irishman said:

My guess is the attorney is hoping for a settlement. If this goes to court, many of them will get hammered on cross examination.

And that sword cuts both ways. Cross-examining someone who claims to be a victim of a sex crime is a very dicey matter. Really have to be concerned about a potential backlash from jurors who may identify in some way with the victim. It’s a real challenge. Not so cross-examining a big, tough, football player alleged to be a sexual predator. You can really take off the gloves in that situation.

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2 hours ago, Bobref said:

Not so cross-examining a big, tough, football player alleged to be a sexual predator.

If he cries, he will probably get out of it, based on past cross examinations of similar allegations.

 

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12 minutes ago, gonzoron said:

If he cries, he will probably get out of it, based on past cross examinations of similar allegations.
 

My experience with juries is somewhat different. Juries can detect phonies very well. If he’s not genuine, they will punish him for it.

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On 3/23/2021 at 8:04 AM, Irishman said:

Some things still don’t add up though. I am sure he made the appointments. But anyone that offers service in hotels?????? A couple of them were repeat visits. That tells me they knew what was going on, especially when something happened the first time. The one said she had to leave and compose herself after he kissed her? But then she went through with the appointment? 
 

My guess is the attorney is hoping for a settlement. If this goes to court, many of them will get hammered on cross examination. 
 

Watson may face discipline regardless at this point. He might as well let the cases go to court. 
 

You are right though Bob, they are similar. I could also see that as a problem for the plaintiffs’ attorney. I am thinking the stories could vary a little more, and that the same basic story is used over and over. 
 

This article is about the claim of “Jane Doe 15” and it speaks to some of your concerns. The gist of the article is that, of the 16 lawsuits, this one may be the most problematic for Watson, including criminal concerns. It not only included contemporaneous reports of the events before any other allegations were public, but the behavior described is virtually identical to the other reports that became public later.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/the-lawsuit-that-is-most-problematic-for-deshaun-watson-014827728.html

The lawsuit that could be most problematic for Deshaun Watson

Dan Wetzel

·Columnist

Wed, March 24, 2021, 8:48 PM·5 min read

Sixteen women have filed civil lawsuits 3accusing Deshaun Watson of varying degrees of sexual assault, putting the Houston Texans quarterback’s future in doubt. Watson denied any wrongdoing in a general statement last week.

Amid the pile of lawsuits though, one that was filed late Tuesday afternoon in Harris County, Texas, could prove to be the most problematic for Watson.

It includes a potential criminal act, possible physical evidence and multiple counts of contemporaneous reporting that experts say is critical in these kinds of situations. It also mirrors many of the other allegations and potentially bolsters them due to the date of the act and the woman's real-time reporting.

“This is clearly the one with the most credibility to it and clearly the one that could present criminal problems for Watson,” said Craig Mordock, a New Orleans-based attorney who frequently handles sexual assault defense and has also represented victims of sexual assault in civil and criminal matters.

Much of Jane Doe 15’s allegations are similar to those by other women, each of whom Watson hired to provide massages. In May of 2020, she said Watson contacted her via Instagram seeking a massage that would focus on his “‘groin area’, his ‘glutes’ and his ‘lower abdominals.’ ”

Doe 15 was surprised that a famous NFL quarterback sought her out. She alleged that she informed him that she was a licensed personal trainer, not a massage therapist. She could help with post-workout muscle therapy, but “massages were not her specialty.”

Watson was undeterred and scheduled her to come to his house on May 28, according to the lawsuit. She arrived and Watson led her to the theater room, where she set up before Watson returned wearing just a towel.

Doe 15 alleged in her lawsuit that when Watson “eventually flipped over onto his back, the towel fell off [and] … Watson was completely naked and exposed his penis to the Plaintiff. Watson also moved his penis onto Plaintiff’s hand. Watson had pre-ejaculate leaking out of his penis, which got onto Plaintiff’s hand. Plaintiff felt like she wanted to vomit.”

Doe 15 said she was confused and upset and chose to end the massage session. She stated she left soon after.

Watson’s actions are a potential violation of 22.012 of the Texas penal code — indecent assault — which is punishable for up to one year in prison or a fine of $4,000.

“If what happened is as it’s described in the lawsuit, then it is absolutely indecent assault,” Mordock said.

Watson could face more serious felony sexual assault charges based on the allegations by Jane Doe No. 3 and No. 9 concerning forced oral sex, however those civil lawsuits do not indicate a level of contemporaneous reporting that Jane Doe 15 does.

“When Plaintiff got home that day,” the lawsuit reads, “Plaintiff immediately called her mom and her best friend to tell them what happened and said she was traumatized … Plaintiff also received a text message from Watson that same day asking her if she was OK. Plaintiff did not respond. For weeks afterwards, Watson repeatedly contacted Plaintiff asking if he could book her again. Plaintiff either ignored the requests or said she was too busy.”

The fact that Doe 15 alleges to have told two people — her mother and her best friend — that very day about what allegedly happened could provide significant credibility to her claim. Her story is on the record. Both individuals could be called to testify in either a criminal or civil claim.

“That is a contemporaneous report,” Mordock said. “It is the key to these cases. It signals that the alleged victim in the matter knew that it was severe enough that she had to tell someone right away. They knew something was wrong right away.

“Then you have him following up asking if she is OK?” Mordock continued. “That is not a particularly good fact for Watson. And then she refuses to engage with him.”

The lawsuit did not include any of the alleged direct messages or text threads between the two. There would, however, be records of any communication between them if they did in fact take place, as Jane Doe 15 alleges.

Jane Doe 15 is, as the moniker suggests, the 15th woman to file a lawsuit against Watson. All of the plaintiffs have the same attorney, Tony Buzbee, which Watson’s team has suggested undermines their credibility.

While it is not known when Doe 15 contacted Buzbee, the timing of her lawsuit, a full week after Jane Doe 1 first made her allegations public, suggests she joined up after the news broke.

If that is the case, then her contemporaneous report on May 28 would potentially offer proof that she isn’t just mimicking the stories of the other massage therapists. In fact, she established the story before any of them began telling very similar ones. Hers would be the first known report, and since what she told her mother and friend would be unknown to the others, it in turn makes their ensuing stories more believable.

“It matches up with pretty much every other description, but she reported it in May, when she knew nothing about any other women or any other complaints and no other women knew about her,” Mordock said.

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I agree Bob...that one seems to have the most credibility if it bears out to be true. The difference is that she left immediately, ignored messages from him. That said, someone I grew up with is apparently well versed in these types of things. The ones that visit hotels likely offered "other services". The key will be where they placed ads. Even though a site like backpage has been shut down by the FBI, there are still sites out there to advertise services. The ones who did not leave immediately, like this latest one......will have issues as well trying to prove their cases. With this last one though, knowing physiology to the extent that I do, certain events just do not happen spontaneously, so there is a bit of suspicion even in this story. 

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