Dharun Ravi, the student charged with invading the privacy of his Rutgers University roommate Tyler Clementi, has been found guilty by a jury, the Huffington Post is reporting. The jury deliberated for 12 hours for more than two days, and also found him guilty of bias, hindering apprehension, witness tampering and tampering with physical evidence.
Sentencing in the case is set for May 21, and Ravi may be deported to India, his country of birth. The guilty verdict comes after Ravi was served with a 15-count indictment, which included several bias intimidation charges, because prosecutors claimed he bullied Clementi for being gay. If convicted of bias intimidation, the most serious charge, he could face 10 years in prison.
Ravi was accused of using a webcam to to watch Clementi romantically embrace another man in their dorm room. Clementi committed suicide several days later in September 2010. Ravi hasn’t been charged as being a factor in his roommate’s death. But prosecutors allege Ravi spied on his roommate by going to a friend’s room to watch Clementi.
After the incident, Clementi asked dormitory officials to change his room, but he committed suicide shortly after. The case was followed across the country as it centered on the alleged hate crimes that led to his death.
Written by: Karen Benardello
