Female Jury Finds Man Guilty In Hollywood Rape Trial
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FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - The verdict is in for a Hollywood man accused of sexually assaulting a teen girl after several others beat her and then held her down.
The all-female jury found Jayvon Woolfork guilty of sexual battery, false imprisonment and kidnapping after an hour and a half of deliberations.
The aunt of the victim told CBS 4's Carey Codd that the teenage victim is pleased with the verdict.
"She actually cried," the aunt, who asked us not us to reveal her identity, said. "And she said it wasn't sad tears. It was definitely happy tears."
After the verdict, the jury forewoman said cell phone video of the incident was key during deliberations.
"I watched them," said Bethany Fumero. "I wanted to look away but at the same time I didn't want someone to walk if they were guilty. After watching that, maybe he didn't do the beating but it was rape and he was guilty."
During the trial Tuesday, Woolfork lashed out at his lawyer and pleaded with the judge.
"They're gonna find me guilty your honor. Please, I need a new lawyer. You need to help me your honor..I'm in fear for my life," said Woolfork.
The judge told Woolfork if he couldn't behave,, he'd have to leave the courtroom. And that's what happened.
Earlier in the day, Woolfork took the stand in his own defense, telling the jury he was innocent because he had consensual sex with the girl.
"It happened before, way before they started fighting, we was all in my room chillin', we was drinking, I had coke (cocaine) and she wanted some coke," said Woolfork. "They left her and it was me and her in the room. I don't want to get into all the details but she was a prostitute, she was a prostitute, I ain't gotta rape that."
The girl, who was only 16-years old at the time, testified that the beating and rape happened at Woolfork's home on McKinley Street in 2013. She said she was hanging out with the teens when they began to assault her.
The victim's aunt said the guilty conviction came as a great relief to the victim and her family.
"That man would be back out on the streets and God knows what he would do her next and that is what scared us all the most," she said.
The teen said Patricia Montes, 17; Ericka Avery, 17; Dwight Henry, 18 and Lanel Singleton, 19, beat her and dragged her into a room and held her down while Woolfork raped her. Part of the attack was captured on cell phone video.
Montes, Avery, Henry and Singleton all took plea deals from the state.
Singleton and Henry pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery and one count of kidnapping. Singleton was sentenced to four years in prison. Henry got two years because of his cooperation with prosecutors.
Avery pleaded guilty to armed sexual battery and kidnapping. She was sentenced to four years in prison as a youthful offender. Montes pleaded no contest to the same charges and was also sentenced to four years in a youth offender facility.
The first person called to the stand Tuesday was former co-defendant Singleton.
Singleton initially pleaded 'the fifth' to prosecutors questions so as not to incriminate himself. The judge then reminded him that he had already taken a plea deal and had been sentenced to prison, so he could answer the questions. The judge also warned him that if he did not answer truthfully he could be held in contempt of court.
When the prosecutor resumed the questioning, Singleton testified that he had no knowledge of a sexual assault and didn't remember what he said in his statement to police.
Woolfork rejected a plea deal last June. If he had accepted it, he would have been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Now, he could face a life sentence when he is sentenced next month.
As for the victim, now a mother, her aunt said she is focused on raising her child, working and eventually going back to school.
"I don't think she'll ever 100 percent recover from it but she's definitely proving to us that she can stand on her own and she's being strong," the aunt said.