PHOTO: Project Q Atlanta
Two of the three men convicted of brutally attacking a young gay Atlanta man and videotaping the assault have pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges, reports The GA Voice.
This case is the first in Georgia to charge a violation of the sexual orientation section of the federal hate crimes law. Christopher Cain (above) and Dorian Moragne, both of Atlanta, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge J. Owen Forrester.
"Violence against another person because of his or her sexual orientation has no place in our civilized society," said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates in a prepared statement. "The citizens of this district should know that we are committed to aggressively prosecuting hate crimes."
No word yet on the sentencing date.
The videotaped February 4 2012 attack against Brandon White went viral across the internet. Cain has been described as one of the "main aggressors"
in the videotaped attack. The vicious beating of White began after Cain claimed White
made a sexual advance toward him, according to court documents.
White has denied the claim. Cain can be seen on the video "stomp[ing]
Brandon White after he was punched and kicked" to the ground.
Other defendants were seen stomping and kicking Brandon White. Moragne was identified as the person who threw a tire on the victim.
Federal authorities joined the manhunt and prosecution. Cain, Moragne and Darael Williams were sentenced last July to five years in prison on aggravated assault, street gang activity and robbery convictions. Another defendant, 24-year-old Javaris Bradford, was indicted by a grand jury and apparently remains at large.
Georgia is one of only five states without a hate crimes law. The Justice Department announced that they would file federal hate crime charges once the state concluded its case.
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