Berbick Found Guilty of Raping Baby-Sitter, 26

A jury found former world heavyweight boxing champion Trevor Berbick, 39, guilty Friday of raping a woman who worked as a baby-sitter for his family.

His accuser, a 26-year-old woman who worked for the family for 2 1/2 weeks, gave 90 minutes of emotional testimony Wednesday. She said the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Berbick pulled off her clothing, hit her, held her down and forcibly had sex with her in the bedroom of her Miami apartment on Oct. 31, 1990.

The woman said Berbick had driven to her apartment from his home near Ft. Lauderdale, ostensibly to pay her $480 in baby-sitting fees.

Berbick testified that the woman willingly had an affair with him. He hinted that the woman’s testimony was part of a conspiracy, saying she was “on the payroll,” but did not specify what that might mean.

Miami sexual battery detective Shawn Mahon testified that in three successive interviews, Berbick had different accounts of his relationship with his accuser.

The first time, the detective said, Berbick said he had never had sex with her. Then he said he had intercourse with the woman, but at Berbick’s home. Then Berbick acknowledged having sex with her at her apartment but said the woman had consented.