The Tragic Story of Tyler Clementi, Rutgers' Webcam Voyeurism Victim

**NoNoRehab** · October 31st, 2010, 05:08 PM

Maybe part of wanting "safe spaces" is wanting to not have to deal with a homophobic roommate who posts on Twitter about how your sexuality makes him feel icky and who invades your privacy by posting your most intimate moments to the world.

**witchcurlgirl** · March 16th, 2012, 12:10 PM

19-year-old Dharun Ravi, the Rutgers student who spied on his gay roommate Tyler Clementi kissing a man shortly before Clementi committed suicide, was convicted of multiple charges of invasion of privacy today and bias intimidation, a hate crime.

The case came down to whether Dharun Ravi was an anti-gay bigot, or just an asshole, for using a webcam to spy on Clementi in their dorm room, then tweeting to the world that, "I saw him making out with a dude. Yay." And the jury ruled Dharun Ravi is both an asshole and a bigot. Ravi, who's an Indian citizen, faces a maximum 10 years in prison for the intimidation charge and deportation. He and his lawyer had turned down a generous plea deal which would have spared him jail time and helped him fight deportation. Now he's been convicted on all 15 charges he faced.

This seems an overly harsh punishment for a tragic but far from clear-cut case. Tyler Clementi's own parents said they didn't want Ravi to receive "harsh" punishment.

Tyler Clementi Webcam Spy Found Guilty of Hate Crimes

**greysfang** · March 16th, 2012, 01:23 PM

I don't think its too harsh.

**Lalique** · March 16th, 2012, 01:59 PM

Got what he deserved.

**SHELLEE** · March 16th, 2012, 02:01 PM

Depending on his history or priors, he probably won't get the maximum of 10 years.

**DeadDwarf** · March 16th, 2012, 02:15 PM

Whoa, I can't believe he rejected the plea deal and stated it was because he was "innocent". The deal would be a no brainer for me. Just take the plea and admit you invaded the kid's privacy out of ignorance. I don't feel bad for this kid.

**Rusalka** · March 16th, 2012, 03:39 PM

Good. I'm glad.

This is such a tragic case. I hope I can phrase this right, but what makes me most upset is not that these fuckers felt the need to torment this poor boy over his sexuality, but that Tyler felt he had to commit suicide once he was exposed.

There will always be stupid bigoted assholes, but you have to hope that they aren't representative of society as a whole. It's like the Pippin thing; she was a vile, racist piece of shit, but once we found out, we reacted unanimously against her. Because any normal person knows how disgusting her views are.

No one should be treated like Tyler was or forced out of the closet, but it shouldn't be something to kill yourself over. Society should be better than that. I've always been in an environment that's very accepting of homosexuality so that skews my views I'm sure, but I never stop being shocked by cases like this. I'm just stunned that being gay is such a big deal, that people care so much. Ugh.

**MsChiff** · March 16th, 2012, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by celeb_2006

it's heartbreaking.

Would a guy have killed himself if it were him kissing/making out with a girl?

It just goes to show how homophobic our society really is, and how people in this day and age still must feel 'pressured' to keep it on the down low in 'mainstream' society.

Really sad.

agree. Well said. True that!

**Shinola** · March 16th, 2012, 05:46 PM

I'm ready for someone to murder the rapist now.

**twitchy2.0** · March 16th, 2012, 05:51 PM

What rapist?

**rockchick** · March 16th, 2012, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by Lalique

Got what he deserved.

Yep I agree. Kids an asshole.

**BBDSP** · March 16th, 2012, 08:25 PM

What a jerk. What a cruel thing to do to another person.

I know kids are stupid, and maybe if he were a year or two older he wouldn't have done what he did, but he did it. And doubly stupid not to take the deal and get some counseling and do some soul-searching. Perhaps the saddest thing, except for Tyler's suicide, is this dumb-ass Ravi not understanding or admitting that what he did was wrong.

**CornFlakegrl** · March 16th, 2012, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by Rusalka

Good. I'm glad.

This is such a tragic case. I hope I can phrase this right, but what makes me most upset is not that these fuckers felt the need to torment this poor boy over his sexuality, but that Tyler felt he had to commit suicide once he was exposed.

There will always be stupid bigoted assholes, but you have to hope that they aren't representative of society as a whole. It's like the Pippin thing; she was a vile, racist piece of shit, but once we found out, we reacted unanimously against her. Because any normal person knows how disgusting her views are.

No one should be treated like Tyler was or forced out of the closet, but it shouldn't be something to kill yourself over. Society should be better than that. I've always been in an environment that's very accepting of homosexuality so that skews my views I'm sure, but I never stop being shocked by cases like this. I'm just stunned that being gay is such a big deal, that people care so much. Ugh.

In the article WCG posted above, there is a link "clear cut case" that takes you to a lengthy article about the case. You'll find that Tyler was not forced out of the closet -- he was already out. That is not why the boy committed suicide.

Ravi comes off like a cocky asshole in the article and Tyler's privacy was invaded (for about 2 minutes with 2 people viewing the kiss), but I'm not sure that's worth 10 years in jail.

**BBDSP** · March 17th, 2012, 11:54 AM

I think the whole situation was a lot more complicated than it appears on the surface. I can see it from both sides, although maybe I'm just projecting. Tyler and Ravi were both freshman, and it was the first few weeks of school, right? Sexual orientation aside, it can be weird and uncomfortable sharing a room with a virtual stranger and figuring out what to do during when your roomie is having a sexual encounter. When you add that to Ravi probably having some homophobic tendencies--whether he recognizes it or not--and maybe not 'getting any' himself while his roommate is getting action--and then factor in being an immature asshole...

And Tyler--I know he had come out to his parents but I'm guessing he wasn't really out at high school...So he starts college and just like most of us, wants a fresh start, wants to feel grown up, and maybe in his case is getting to start over as an out gay man from the beginning. And here it is, just the first couple of weeks of school...Maybe he just couldn't deal with spending the next 4 years being 'that guy' whose roommate tried to webcast him having a sexual encounter. Or maybe it was realizing that even though he was out there are still homophobic assholes out there and that you can't get away from it. I'd be pretty depressed, too.

The thing is, my dad, who was a criminal defense lawyer, always said that very few people come out of prison a better person than when they went in--if you're not already violent, you learn violence, all your friends are criminals, your prospects for the future grow dimmer, etc. And that therefore, you better be pretty damn careful who you put into chokey if there's some other way to punish them/rehabilitate them, etc. (Of course, maybe that was a self-serving comment coming from a defense lawyer.)

I think what Ravi did was heinous and nothing excuses it, and he totally deserves punishment, but I don't think spending 10 years in prison is going to make him a better person.

**yanna** · March 17th, 2012, 12:04 PM

CornFlakegrl, I just read that article too. Ravi comes accross as an utter bigot and homophobe prick. The man tried to set up a viewing party for all of his Twitter followers, that's just sick. It didn't work but the intent was there. That's much worse than the 2 minutes and 2 people seeing the kiss. He created a completely hostile environment in that dorm room. He only has himself to blame for the 10 years, he refused a sentence that would have included no jail time.