Dharun Ravi Convicted in Tyler Clementi Webcam Case
Dharun Ravi was convicted of all counts including hate crimes in the Rutgers webcam case. The ex-Rutgers University student's use of a webcam to spy on his roommate Tyler Clementi's sex life preceded Clementi's suicide.
Ravi, 20, shook his head as 15 guilty verdicts were read aloud in court Friday morning, the Associated Press reports. The charges include invasion of privacy, bias intimidation, and witness and evidence tampering.
Ravi could now face 10 years in prison for the cyberbullying. His actions occurred just before his roommate, Tyler Clementi, 18, jumped off a bridge to his death, Reuters reports.
Ravi, an Indian national, could also be deported, according to the AP.
The Rutgers webcam spying case cast a national spotlight on anti-gay bullying, cyberbullying, and teen suicide. Dharun Ravi was convicted of using a webcam to spy on roommate Tyler Clementi during two homosexual encounters in their dorm room in September 2010.
Ravi excitedly tweeted about his live webcam, which a handful of other Rutgers students also watched online, the AP reports. After Clementi found out, he committed suicide.
Defense lawyers argued Dharun Ravi was just immature and wasn't biased against gays. Jurors found Ravi not guilty on some subparts of the hate-crime charges against him, but guilty of all counts as a whole, the AP reports.
In New Jersey, bias intimidation based on sexual orientation is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Ravi, an Indian citizen who has legally lived in the United States since he was a child, could also face deportation -- a decision that a federal immigration judge would have to make, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Dharun Ravi remains in custody after his Rutgers webcam spying convictions. His sentencing is scheduled for May 21.
Related Resources:
- Former Rutgers student convicted in webcam case (The Associated Press)
- Cyber Bullying (FindLaw)
- Hate Crime: The Violence of Intolerance (FindLaw)
- Rutgers Suicide Case to Test NJ Privacy Law (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)