Vanderbilt Rape Trial Verdict: Two Former Football Players Found Guilty Of Campus Rape Charges

A Nashville, Tennessee, jury Tuesday convicted two former Vanderbilt University football players in a June 2013 dorm room rape. Cory Batey, 21, of Nashville was found guilty on seven counts including “aggravated rape.” Tried with him was Brandon Vandenburg, 21, of Indio, California, who was found guilty of the same seven charges plus two more in relation to video evidence of the incident he recorded on his cell phone.

The trial marks only the end of the first round of criminal cases against Batey and Vandenburg as well as two others allegedly connected to the crime. The two other men, Brandon Banks of Garner, North Carolina, and Jaborian McKenzie of Woodville, Mississippi, are awaiting separate trials. They have pleaded not guilty.

The 19-month-long case sent a shockwave through the university’s football program, tarnishing the campus’ reputation. The victim had passed out from drinking in a dorm room when the two men found her and sexually assaulted her, the Tennessean reported. Vandenburg is accused of also filming the incident and sending the images to friends, ABC News reported. Defense lawyers said the two men were too drunk to be aware of their actions.

The victim testified to this day, she has no recollection of the assault. It wasn’t until the university reviewed security footage while researching a vandalism call that video of a young woman being dragged unconscious into a dorm room was discovered.

“He told me that I had gotten sick in his room and he had to clean it up and that it was horrible and that he had to spend all night taking care of me and that it was horrible," she testified regarding Vandenburg. She said he made the remarks the next morning, according to the Associated Press (via Fox Sports), and "I apologized. I was embarrassed."

Both men are scheduled for sentencing March 6. Crimes of this nature in Tennessee can carry a minimum of 10 years in prison.