New Hampshire Prep School Rape Verdict: Owen Labrie Guilty Of Misdemeanor Sex Assault At St. Paul's School

A former student at a prestigious New Hampshire boarding school was found guilty of three misdemeanor sexual assault charges, using a computer to solicit sex and endangering a child, but not guilty of felony charges of rape Friday. He had been accused of raping an underage female student at the school in the spring. Jurors decided Friday afternoon after eight hours of deliberations.

Former St. Paul's School student Owen Labrie, 19, was accused of raping a 15-year-old freshman last spring. Labrie was a senior at the time, and the alleged rape was reportedly tied to a school tradition called the "senior salute," where graduating seniors have sexual encounters with younger students. Labrie faced nine charges, including three counts of felony sex assault. Those counts could have carried punishments of up to 20 years in prison. The charges of which he was found guilty carries a sentence of up to 12 months imprisonment.

Labrie testified that the two had not had sexual intercourse and that the encounter was consensual, the Associated Press reported. The alleged victim said they kissed before Labrie used his fingers to penetrate her and subsequently raped her.

“[She] said no, and she said it three times,” prosecutor Joseph Cherniske said during the trial. “She held her bra when he tried to take it off. She held her underwear when he tried to take those off . . . and then she froze in fear as he carried out his plan.”

Labrie and the alleged victim reportedly exchanged emails and messages on Facebook before the encounter, in which Labrie managed to get the freshman girl to meet him in a secluded room on campus.