A judge accepted a plea bargain on Monday, allowing a former Baylor University student to avoid jail time after being accused of raping a woman at a fraternity party in 2015.
The victim of this alleged assault is infuriated by the decision, reports AP News.
She says the student, Jacob Walter Anderson, gave her a drink and she became disoriented. He then led her behind a tent and assaulted her while she was gagged and choked against her will.
“He stole my body, virginity and power over my body,” she said in court.
The deal Anderson made allows him to plead no contest to a lesser charge, meaning he will not plead guilty but offers no defense to the new charges.
He has agreed to seek counseling and will pay a fine of $400. Anderson will not be obligated to register as a sex offender and his criminal record will be expunged after completing three years of probation, according to CBS News.
McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna defended the plea deal, saying the evidence did not support the victim’s allegation of being drugged.
“This office stands by the plea offered and believes we have achieved the best result possible with the evidence at hand,” Reyna said.
The judge from Monday’s hearing, Judge Ralph Strother, says he considered both sides of the argument when making his decision. However, this is not the first time he has deferred an accused man to probation. Strother has made similar decisions in at least three other instances.
Last year, Strother sentenced Dontrell Hullett to probation after he pleaded guilty to raping a Baylor student in 2013, according to the Waco Tribune. Hullett was sentenced to pay for the woman’s counseling.
Baylor University has had many sexual assault-related issues in just the last year alone, with multiple lawsuits and sexual assault reports.
They have implemented certain measures to try and improve student safety and prevent more sexual assault incidents, like these six strategies and these Title IX improvements.
