EAGLE, Colorado: A decision on whether to charge Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman will not be announced until next week, a prosecutor's spokeswoman said on Thursday.

Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert did not return a phone call, but a statement from his office said he is awaiting more information before making his decision.

Bryant, 24, a five-time NBA All-Star, is accused of attacking the woman at a resort on June 30. Officials at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, which is near Vail, say Bryant was a guest there from June 30 to July 2.

Bryant's attorney has said his client, who was in Colorado for knee surgery at a Vail clinic, is innocent.

The Associated Press and other media are not identifying the woman in keeping with policies protecting the privacy of victims of alleged sex crimes, but many in the small town of Eagle, Colorado, know who she is.

Friends say she is a 2002 graduate of Eagle Valley Senior High School, a cheerleader and a talented piano player who sang in the choir.

"Every time I talked to her, she was a real sweetheart. She was just really sweet to me," said Lauren McNeil, 15.

Lindsey McKinney said she temporarily moved in with the alleged victim's family after fighting with her own parents, but later had a falling out with her.

McKinney said she and the woman travelled to Austin, Texas, in November to try out for the "American Idol" TV talent show. They slept outside for 12 hours to get an audition, but neither made it to the second round.

Reporters from around the country converged on the cul-de-sac where the woman's house sits, with evergreen landscaping and a basketball hoop over the two-car garage.

Some knocked, others left business cards. At one point, a sheriff's officer in an unmarked car cruised past.

The father of the alleged victim declined to speak with an AP reporter, referring all questions to the prosecutor.

Colorado Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director Pete Mang said his agency is analyzing evidence in the case. He declined to say what the evidence is or speculate how long it might take.

"We're in the beginning stages of examining the evidence," Mang said. "If we do find items that need analytical work, it could slow things down a bit."

Both Bryant and his accuser went to hospitals after the alleged attack, authorities have said.

Sheriff's deputies took Bryant to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, about 64 kilometers west of the resort, early on July 2.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Kim Andree on Wednesday said the department uses hospitals in Glenwood Springs and Vail for tests in sexual assault investigations.

Andree confirmed that the alleged victim also went to a hospital, but would not say whether deputies took her.

Earlier in the week, Sheriff Joe Hoy said investigators learned of the assault allegation on July 1. Bryant surrendered to authorities and was released after posting US$25,000 bond.

In a worst-case scenario, Bryant could lose up to US$150 million in potential earnings, estimates Bob Williams of Burns Sports and Celebrities Inc. Last fall, Williams' firm commissioned a poll that listed Bryant as the third-best product endorser in sports, behind Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan.

Williams says Bryant's clean-cut image has taken a permanent hit, the repercussions of which are not fully known.

"There's damage done," he said. "The shocker was that he was even in the situation. If you had to pick a handful of athletes who would never get in a situation like this, he'd have probably been on your list. There's a shock factor that people will remember."

Bryant was married in 2001 and became a father in January. He wore his baby girl's hospital ID bracelet in his first game after she was born, enhancing his wholesome image, and later appeared in ESPN ads carrying a case of diapers.

Agencies via Xinhua

(China Daily 07/12/2003 page7)