Source: CVDaily Feed
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LOGAN — A jury found a 24-year-old Nibley man guilty of object rape late Friday night.
Jacob Christensen sat quietly and showed little reaction as the court clerk read the jury’s verdict.
The jury of three men and five women announced their verdict after the third day of testimony finished in 1st District Court.
State attorney Spencer Walsh said they had charged Christensen with rape and forcible sodomy, both first-degree felonies or in the alternative object rape.
Walsh said he was pleased with the verdict and thought the jury did an excellent job looking meticulously at the evidence.
“The defendant made, as I count it, five different statements throughout these proceedings and he had many inconsistencies,” said Walsh. “He lied on many different occasions. Whereas the victim in this case showed great courage, she went to the police, she testified in court and she had injuries on her body.
Walsh spoke briefly with the victim after the verdict and said she was relieved and very pleased. He said this will help her to be able to heal.
Sheriff’s deputies took Christensen into custody. He was booked into the Cache County Jail.
Judge Kevin Allen set a sentencing date for May 12.
Walsh said the sentencing guidelines for object rape are five years to life in the Utah State Prison.
“Although prison time is not mandatory, the state will be requesting a prison sentence in this case,” said Walsh. “This was a violent sexual assault and the defendant is a danger to our community.”
Earlier in the day, Christensen took the stand and testified that he did not assault the victim on the night of February 26, 2011. He claimed that after watching part of a “racing movie” with the victim and her roommate, who both earlier in the night had taken Ambien to hallucinate, he took the victim to her room and then drove home.