March 22, 2012
Rutgers Webcam Defendant 'Sorry About Tyler'
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 1 MIN.
PLAINSBORO, N.J. (AP) - The former Rutgers University student convicted in the webcam spying case that ended in his gay roommate's suicide says he was insensitive, but not biased.
Dharun Ravi (dah-ROON' RAH'-vee) tells The Star-Ledger of Newark (http://bit.ly/GP9KC8 ) he didn't act out of hate and wasn't uncomfortable with Tyler Clementi's sexual orientation.
Ravi says he was concerned about the appearance of the 30-year-old man who Clementi invited to their dorm room.
The 20-year-old says he would have done the same thing if Clementi had invited a girl who "looked as strange" as the man.
After a conviction last week, Ravi could face up to 10 years in prison when he's sentenced in May.
But he doesn't regret not taking a plea deal that could have spared him prison. Ravi says he would have had to testify that he did what he did to intimidate Clementi and "that would be a lie." He adds he's "very sorry about Tyler."