Jury convicts 2 former Vanderbilt football players of raping woman
A jury has convicted two former Vanderbilt football players of raping a woman.
Indio resident Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey were each charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery.
Prosecutors say Vandenburg brought an unconscious 21-year-old woman he had been seeing back to his dorm room after a night of drinking in 2013 when the assault happened.
Defense attorneys say Vandenburg took “deplorable” photos but did not take part in the alleged sexual assault. Batey testified that he was so drunk he didn’t remember what happened until he later saw cellphone photos and video.
The woman testified she didn’t remember what happened that night.
News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 spoke to former College of the Desert football coach Dean Dowdy about the sentence handed down Tuesday.
“He [Vandenburg] was always a good kid in my interactions with him…a standup athlete on the football team and a 4.0 student. I’m very surprised,” said Dowdy.
Two other former players are also facing rape charges. Their trials have not been set.
