FORT WORTH — A former TCU student was found not guilty on Monday of raping a woman at a party on campus in 2012, a verdict praised by the defense attorney but denounced by a women's advocate who said the outcome of the case would "send victims right back into a code of silence."
Joseph Robert Dowd, 21, testified that his accuser, a TCU student, kissed him and helped him put on a condom before they had consensual sex while their friends were downstairs at a party on the night of Dec. 6, 2012.
The woman testified that Dowd held her by the throat and raped her.
The jury deliberated for seven hours over two days. The maximum sentence on the charge is 20 years in prison.
"I'm totally delighted," Dowd's attorney, Frank Jackson, said after the verdict was read.
"The boy has had his life restored to him after two years. Authorities should be very cautious about sexual assault allegations on college campuses now. I know it's perhaps the politically correct thing to do, but if we're not careful a lot of lives can be destroyed."
Prosecutor Kimberly D'Avignon called on "future victims not to let this verdict stop you from reporting a rape."
"We would like to thank TCU because they did everything right. Other colleges could learn from their example," D'Avignon said. "Jane Smith also did the right thing and we want to thank her for her courage."
"Jane Smith" was the pseudonym used by the Star-Telegram to identify the woman. The newspaper typically does not identify accusers in sexual assault cases.
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