How text messages exposed Canberra Raiders star Sandor Earl in ASADA drugs scandal SANDOR Earl threw himself at the mercy of ASADA after text messages from several mobile phones framed him for a network that distributed peptides and other prescription drugs. Almost seven months since the "Blackest Day in Sport" press conference, the Canberra Raiders winger became the first footballer to be handed an infraction notice after being charged with trafficking and using performance-enhancing substances. Earl faces a ban of four years to life, but is striving to have the penalty reduced to 12 months after electing to stand down immediately and provide ASADA with extensive information about his activities. In a flash press conference announced Thursday afternoon to avoid leaks, NRL boss Dave Smith declared that Earl had admitted in an interview with ASADA on Tuesday to using and trafficking banned peptide CJC-1295. "Admissions were made regarding the use and trafficking of peptide CJC-1295," Smith said. Sandor Earl against his old club Penrith. Picture: Kym Smith Sandor Earl modelling underwear. News Corp can reveal ASADA's file against Earl does not implicate any other NRL players or athletes bound by the WADA code. His lawyer Tim Unsworth said the trafficking charges against Earl could still be contested. That charge is two-fold and begins with controversial sports scientist, Steve Dank, the investigation's central figure. Earl first met Dank while playing for the Penrith Panthers in early 2011, when the sports scientist was assisting the club with its GPS and Hypoxi programs. But it wasn't until Earl had a double shoulder reconstruction midway through that season that the pair began to discuss a different form of treatment. In August 2011, Dank referred Earl to a clinic in Cabramatta run by Dr Ijaz Khan to administer injections to help quicken his recovery. News corp understands the injections were banned peptide CJC-1295. Mr Unsworth claimed Earl had been assured the substance was WADA-approved. "Sandor was under the instruction of a medical practitioner," Unsworth said. Earl received 12 rounds of injections over a two-month period, during which time he transported a prohibited substance between Dank's office in Mascot and Dr Khan's clinic in Cabramatta. Controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank. "Sandor basically picked up something from Dank and took it to Dr Khan," Mr Unsworth said. It was entirely for his own use. ASADA believe this trip constituted one of the elements of the trafficking charges against Earl. But the anti-doping watchdog also possessed text messages from Dank's phone and others that implicated Earl in further trafficking activity. The text messages suggested that Earl was the "middle man" in several transactions that do not involve other NRL players or athletes bound by the WADA code. It's understood those transactions involved prescription drugs, as well as WADA-banned substances, and took place for a period of time after Earl's initial consultations with Dank and the Cabramatta clinic. Mr Unsworth said there was no evidence suggesting Earl had distributed or sold the drugs, but the wide nature of the NRL's Anti-Doping Policy definition of "trafficking" meant the charge could still be laid. Earl was initially interviewed by ASADA on August 4 over allegations he had merely used banned peptides. The trafficking accusations were first raised during that interview, but Mr Unsworth objected because the more serious claim was not raised in Earl's initial interview notice. He was issued with a second interview notice and re-interviewed the following day. Earl was confronted with the text messages and other evidence of trafficking during that meeting. Struggling emotionally all season, he elected to stand down immediately in the hope of returning to action as soon as possible. Should Earl be successful in obtaining the "substantial assistance" defence and only receive a one-year ban, he will be eligible to return on August 28, 2014. He did not expect the development to be made public on Thursday, but the NRL wanted to act immediately to avoid the media from breaking the development first. As NRL boss Dave Smith's announcement stunned the sporting landscape, the player was meeting Raiders officials and declined to comment. Dank has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing with regard to the supplements programs. Dr Khan declined to comment.