Tyler Clementi's Rutgers Roommate, Dharun Ravi, Pleads Not Guilty

Dharun Ravi, center right, is seen during his hearing today in the webcam-spying case involving the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi. (AP/Julio Cortez)

Dharun Ravi, the former roommate of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, pleaded not guilty this morning to bias intimidation, invasion of privacy, evidence tampering, and other charges. You'll recall that Clemente committed suicide after he realized that his homosexual encounter had been watched via webcam, and that Ravi had allegedly tried to share his next liaison with other Rutgers students online. If convicted of the most serious charge, bias intimidation, Ravi faces up to ten years in prison. Clementi's family attended the hearing, which lasted just ten minutes, and issued a statement afterward.

"Today Mr. Ravi has been arraigned on multiple counts alleging criminal acts against our son Tyler," Joseph Clementi told reporters. "We are eager to see the criminal justice process to move forward." Ravi, who no longer attends Rutgers, is currently free on $25,000 bail. His attorney told the Asbury Park Press he's going to need a lot of time to prepare for the case, in part because prosecutors have assembled 1,600 pages of documents as evidence.

Ravi’s co-defendant, Molly Wei, 19, was in her dorm room with Ravi when he observed some part of the first encounter through his dorm room computer webcam. She's also charged with invasion of privacy, but has reached a deal with prosecutors wherein all charges against her will be dismissed, provided she testifies against Ravi, performs 300 hours of community service and undergoes "counseling for cyberbullying and dealing with people with alternative lifestyles."

Ravi and Wei withdrew from Rutgers last year in the wake of the suicide, which took place in the first few weeks of school and sparked a national conversation about bullying and the challenges facing teen homosexuals. Though it was initially implied that the webcam footage was streamed live over the internet for the world to see, Ravi's lawyers maintain that he and Wei were the only ones who saw it, and that their client did not observe any sexual activity. After spying on Clementi's first encounter, Ravi later tweeted his intention to share his next one over iChat. This never happened because Clementi discovered the camera and covered it up. But later that night, he jumped to his death off the George Washington Bridge.

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By John Del Signore in News on May 23, 2011 12:00 PM

Comments [rss]

SherrifMozzie

It looks like a textbook case of self-loathing --- people who hate homosexuals are often stirred to an inappropriate level of emotional reaction because it impacts them deeply in some way, like the latent feelings they have about themselves and their sexual orientation, which terrifies and disgusts them, so they lash out at such behavior in others to prove to the4mselves and others that they are 100% hetero. Most of us would just deal with it and not be so consumed by as to waste time spying and talking about it.

Just what was Ravi doing snooping on Clementi on Justusboys dot com anyway? How would he even know about that site, and what would he be doing there reading posts between gay men? Yet he was there spying and reading -- if i were turned off by homosexuals I'd not be at that site. We tend to avoid things we do not like.

And if one is truly turned off by homosexual encounters then the last thing they'd want to do is watch one on video. The opposite of love is not hate and vice versa, it is indifference. Yet Ravi was not in the least indifferent to his soomate -- in fact, his roomate's homosexuality seemed to be on his mind to an extent that suggests a sort of fascination/horror reaction. I'd bet a pretty pile that Ravi has secret homosexual feelings about which he is quite conflicted. Else his behavior makes no sense at all. Watching a gay encounter video is really really gay.

Biddoguy

I want to see this guy sent to jail, gang raped, video taped, and posted on YouTube for the world to see. That will be justice.

david geraghty

Charming.

Biddoguy

I thought so, maybe if the punishment fit the crime there would be less crime.

Adam Moreira

It may have been mentioned already, but why is Ravi even facing ANY charges? To me, this just seems dressed up as hate crimes.

Bad judgment, yes...but that should have been handled just by Rutgers. The motion should be to have all charges dismissed. Certainly unpopular, but the correct call. (I deplore the idea of hate crimes.)

SherrifMozzie

You do not get that illegal videotaping of another is illegal?

angry_pickle

You think all charges should be dropped? How many people have you videotaped without their consent? Are you a landlord?

Adam Moreira

He lived in the same space---and I don't believe that it was the bathroom.

Gal Friday

Ewwwww....so you think just because you live in the same space with someone, it's fine to 1.) secretly tape them 2.) while they're nude, 3.) having sex, and 4.) post it on the Internet???

I hope if you ever take out an ad for a roommate, you'll mention that.

Matt F.

The reason why Ravi is facing any charges is because the kid killed himself. So NJ took it upon themselves to nail his ass to the wall. There was a lot of uproar when the kid jumped. The Clemente thing was one of the flashpoints for the whole "It Gets Better Movement".

SherrifMozzie

That may be partially true, BUT had Clementi not killed himself and decided to press charges against Ravi, then Ravi would be facing nearly the same charges. The law is firm on illegal taping of people in private. The DA would have been required to press charges had Clementi gone about it that way.

BottomlessChips

What kind of expectation of privacy does one have in a college dorm room?

randomtransplant

The expectation that you wont be videotaped illegally after already going to the authorities about it is fairly universal.

BottomlessChips

Not my point. I don't know the layout of the dorm, but if it's an open double how does one expect privacy?

SherrifMozzie

Clementi asked Ravi for private use of the room for 3 hours and Ravi not only agreed, but left to visit with Wei in her room during that time, thus Ravi granted Clementi's request for privacy by way of a verbal contract which IS acknowledged by law and is admissible in court as such. Thus he had a very reasonable expectation of privacy, as granted by Ravi.

SherrifMozzie

Clementi had asked for privacy -- he had planned the date and asked his roommate beforehand to have the room for 3 hours, for privacy. That Ravi agreed and went to his friend's room is indicative that he granted said permission. That is a reasonable expectation as the result of a verbal contract.

Gal Friday

Uh....have you lived in a dorm before? Students might UNDRESS in front of each other, but they don't usually have SEX in front of each other. You assume you'll have privacy for some things, but not for others.