Cristiano Ronaldo rape suit 'dismissed' after accuser rep acts in 'bad faith'

Cristiano Ronaldo is free of 2009 rape allegations.

on Friday, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey of Las Vegas dismissed the rape lawsuit that alleged the footballer for raping Kathryn Mayorga.

The decision came after Mayorga's attorney Leslie Mark Stovall acted in bad faith, stealing and leaking documents used in the case.

"Stovall's repeated use of stolen, privileged documents to prosecute this case has every indicia of bad-faith conduct," the judge said in the 42-page ruling, which was obtained by PEOPLE.

"And because the record shows that he and Mayorga have extensively reviewed these documents and used them to fashion the very basis of Mayorga's claims," Dorsey continued. "Simply disqualifying Stovall will not purge the prejudice from their misuse."

Meanwhile, Ronaldo's attorney Peter S. Christiansen tells PEOPLE his client is "pleased with the federal court's careful consideration of the issues and decision to dismiss this case."

"Since the Plaintiff first filed suit in 2018, we have maintained the action was brought in bad faith," Christiansen adds in a statement. "The outright dismissal of Plaintiff's case should give all who follow this matter renewed confidence in the judicial process in this country while dissuading those who seek to undermine it.