Dharun Ravi Convicted in Tyler Clementi Webcam Spying Trial

PHOTO: Star-Ledger

A New Jersey jury has convicted former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi of invasion of privacy and bias intimidation when using a webcam to record and live-stream roommate Tyler Clementi's sexual encounter with another man in September 2010. The 18-year-old Clementi committed suicide only three days later.

"Of the 35 separate charges on 15 counts, 24 came in guilty, with 11 not guilty. Most of the not guilty verdicts applied to Clementi’s companion, identified only as M.B.," reports the Star-Ledger. The convictions include invasion of privacy, bias intimidation, witness tampering, hindering arrest and hate crime charges. The 20-year-old Dharun Ravi could face 10 years in prison and eventual deportation to his native country of India. Sentencing is May 21.

In December 2011, Ravi rejected a plea deal that would have kept him out of prison and sought to prevent his deportation.

The guilty verdict was reached after only two days of deliberations. Defense attorneys argued that Ravi was not acting out of hatred toward Clementi or gay people, but that he was young, immature and worried about his iPad being stolen.

Prosecutors countered those claims with numerous witnesses and text messages that said otherwise. Witnesses testified that Ravi not only positioned the webcam toward Clementi's bed, but attempted to stream a second encounter and invited students to a "viewing party" Skype and Twitter. Text messages showed that Ravi told friends that he was "creeped out after" watching the encounter and said, "Keep the gays away."

Clementi took his life on September 22, 2010 by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. Ravi has not been charged in Clementi's death.

Comments

[Isis]

JUSTICE FOR CLEMENTI!!

[DFS]

cue the commentary about how this is just more "gay mafia" overreach and free speech blah blah blah

So sick of the bigotry and ignorance. Poor Tyler

[aaronthemoo]

so man to man sexual encounters creeps ravi out. well, he is about to get aboard the ho train and by the time he's released he will be able to write a book as thick as the bible about male to male sexual interaction.

all through his trial ravi was sleeping and joking and laughing with his attorney. he goes not have any remorse for what he did and couldn't give a damn that tyler took his life. sadly, we are raising a lot of sociopaths in this country. our young people really don't care about other people and we as parents need to teach them otherwise.

hurting tyler was just a sick game to ravi. i think he did fist pumps when he found out the confused young man had killed himself. i also bet diamonds to dollars that tyler's parents were not so welcoming of their son's sexuality. we as parents have to love and accept our children for who they are an embrace them. if tyler's parents were having a hard time coming to grips with his sexuality, then it must kill them to know that he thought that death was his only salvation to be socalled normal.

[Matt Private investigator]

I wonder how he'll cope in jail

[*<*]

I think it's horrible that they allowed Wei to get away with community service. Plea deals are horrible and allows guilty people to walk away with slaps on the wrist for jumping sides.