Getty Images

Last hour, agent Drew Rosenhaus emphasized on ESPN that the allegations against Patriots receiver Antonio Brown are civil, not criminal, in nature. That could change.

Via Andy Sheehan of KDKA-TV, Allegheny County prosecutor Stephen Zappala said Wednesday that his office will “look into” the sexual assault allegations made against Brown.

Zappala’s office would have jurisdiction over only one of the three specific incidents detailed in the civil complaint. Britney Taylor alleges that, in early June 2017 while she was in the bathroom of his Pittsburgh residence, “Brown walked in with his penis exposed” and then “grabbed and kissed her without her consent.”

The more serious allegations relate to conduct that allegedly happened in Florida. It’s unknown whether prosecutors there will look into the situation.

The existence of a criminal investigation could complicate the NFL’s procedures, since the league typically does not investigate such claims against a player until the official process has concluded. However, the league could still place Brown on paid leave pending the outcome of the criminal investigation.