Owen Labrie, the former St. Paul’s School student at the center of an explosive rape case involving one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country, has been cleared of the most serious charges brought against him, including felony charges for aggravated sexual assault.
After seven hours of deliberation, a jury decided that Labrie, who is now 19 years old and plans to become a minister, is guilty of several lesser misdemeanors related to sexual assault and child endangerment. He was also found guilty of a different felony charge for using a computer to lure a child under the age of 16.
Seducing a minor with a computer is a class B felony that can carry a sentence of several years. Labrie cried as the guilty verdicts were read in the courtroom on Friday afternoon.
Labrie was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl as part of a school tradition known as the “senior salute,” in which senior boys attempt to “score” with as many younger girls as possible before they graduate. The accusations shed some light on the sexual culture at elite private schools and brought considerable negative attention to St. Paul’s, a respected institution whose history dates back more than 150 years and whose prominent alumni include U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
The girl who filed charges against Labrie, whose name is being withheld in the press, said their encounter started out as consensual but Labrie didn’t listen to her when she said “no” three times. During a tearful testimony last week, she said she struggled to rebuff his advances because she wanted to be “as polite as possible” and didn’t want to be “dramatic.”
According to DNA evidence that was presented at trial, some of Labrie’s semen was inside the girl’s underwear. Prosecutors argued that the penetration occurred without her consent, while the defense maintained that she did not resist actively enough.
In a statement, the girl’s family said that “a measure of justice has been served for victims of sexual violence.”
“While he was not convicted on all charges, Owen Labrie was held accountable in some way by a jury of his peers for crimes he committed against our daughter,” the statement reads. “This conviction requires him to take ownership for his actions and gives him the opportunity to reflect upon the harm he has caused.”
The felony charges that Labrie was cleared of could have carried a sentence of up to 10 to 20 years in prison. Now, Labrie could face 12 months of incarceration for each misdemeanor conviction and may have to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Lawyers have not yet settled on a date for his sentencing.