Rutgers verdict: Dharun Ravi guilty of hate crimes, other charges
A jury in New Jersey on Friday convicted Dharun Ravi, a former Rutgers student, of hate crimes, invasion of privacy and other charges related to his spying on his gay college roommate, Tyler Clementi, who later committed suicide.
Ravi, 20, sat silently and with no visible expression on his face as the verdict was read.
He faced a total of 15 counts in the case, which made national news in September 2010 after Clementi, who was 18, hurled himself from the George Washington Bridge in the New York City area after learning that Ravi had set up a secret webcam and captured him in an intimate encounter with a date in their dorm room.
Ravi had pleaded innocent to all charges, including bias intimidation – a hate crime – and said he only set up the webcam because he wanted to keep an eye on his property while he was out of the room.
Clementi’s death became a national rallying point, drawing attention to what activists said was the type of hate-motivated bullying often faced by young gay, lesbian and transgender teenager.
Ravi was not charged in connection with the suicide.
The question of determining hate was key for the jury. Ravi could face up to 10 years in prison.
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