Dharun Ravi speaks about being found guilty and Tyler Clementi's death

 

Having been found guilty of a hate crime for spying on Tyler Clementi, Dharun Ravi gave an interview to the NJ Star-Ledger about his thoughts on the trial and Tyler's death.

Regarding the tweet he sent to friends suggesting they tune into his webcam to see Clementi with a male guest:

"I knew my friends would think it was a joke because they know my sense of humor," he said. "But eventually I thought it was stupid, so I went back into the room and pointed the camera back at my bed."

When asked the question, "What were you thinking?" Ravi candidly stated, "I wasn’t."

"At that point, I got caught up in what I thought was funny, and my own ego. I never really thought about what it would mean to Tyler," he said. "I know that’s wrong, but that’s the truth."

Upon learning about the webcam, Tyler Clementi committed suicide.

Ravi stands by his statement that he set up his webcam out of concern for his iPad and that he was also put off by the appearance of Clementi’s guest, a 30-year-old man known only as M.B. that Tyler met on a gay dating Internet site.

"But I wasn’t biased," Ravi said. "I didn’t act out of hate and I wasn’t uncomfortable with Tyler being gay."

"I'm very sorry about Tyler," he said. "I have parents and a little brother, and I can only try to imagine how they feel. But I want the Clementis to know I had no problem with their son. I didn’t hate Tyler and I knew he was okay with me. I wanted to talk to his parents, but I was afraid. I didn’t know what to say.

UPDATE: Preview of "20/20" interview with Dharun Ravi. He doesn't come off very sympathetic here. Almost as if he's the victim. May not play well for him in an appeal.

Rutgers Dharun Ravi found guilty in Tyler Clementi case

A former Rutgers University student accused of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate's love life was convicted of all counts Friday in a case that exploded into the headlines when the victim of the snooping committed suicide by throwing himself off a bridge.

Dharun Ravi, 20, shook his head slightly after the guilty verdicts were read for all 15 counts, including bias intimidation — a hate crime that was based on the victim's sexual orientation — and invasion of privacy. He was also found guilty of tampering with evidence,witness tampering and hindering prosecution.

The most serious charges in the Rutgers case centered on whether Ravi's actions had constituted bias intimidation, meaning that he was motivated to inspire fear in the Ridgewood, New Jersey, native because of his sexual orientation. Those charges carry jail time of up to 10 years and possible deportation back to India.
(source)

CNN: Tyler Clementi's brother gives his first television interview

James Clementi, the gay brother of Tyler Clementi, who took his life in 2010 by jumping from the George Washington Bridge after his Rutgers roommate Dharun Ravi broadcast an intimate moment he was having online, gives his first television interview.