A former Ohio University student was found guilty of two counts of rape Wednesday at Athens County Common Pleas Court.
Jurors unanimously found that Roxon Kofi Osei, 23, of Columbus, vaginally raped an OU student on Jan. 10, 2017.
During the trial, the prosecution used DNA evidence, photos, videos and called multiple witnesses to the stand. Witnesses included a police officer, a medical professional and the victim’s friends who were staying at the victim’s house for her 21st birthday party.
The woman had known Osei for three years and considered him a friend. She invited him to her birthday party at Stephen’s On Court, 66 N. Court St., where she had multiple alcoholic drinks.
Video evidence showed the victim drinking liquor mixed drinks and later being supported by friends so she could walk home.
One of the victim’s friends testified that the victim was unable to walk straight and that her eyes were not open.
“I didn’t feel like she needed help,” Osei said during his testimony.
Her friends testified that once the group got to the victim’s residence, the victim was “completely unresponsive” and laid face-down on her bed.
The victim’s friends testified that they found her door locked with Osei in the room. They believed Osei locked the door.
In witness testimonies, the victim’s friends said they told Osei not to touch her.
In Osei’s testimony, he said he took off the victim’s underwear in the middle of a “makeout session” and performed oral and vaginal sex on her.
Defense attorney John Rutan said sex is a “natural reaction in the heat of the moment” and described the dress the victim was wearing in his closing arguments. He said her dress was very short.
“There are so many girls that are plastered and wearing that style dress on Court Street every night, yet they don’t get raped,” prosecuting attorney Glenn Jones said. “No one deserves to be raped.”
One witness said he heard the sound of a belt-buckle from behind the door.
A few of the victim’s friends got Osei to leave after they banged on the door and told him they were going to sleep in the room.
Once they got Osei to leave, the victim told one of her friends that she had saved her life.
In closing arguments, Jones said that OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital found vaginal abrasions on the victim.
“She reported she was raped because she was raped,” Jones said.
Osei confessed to Athens Police Department Officer Thomas Simpson and said he “really shouldn’t have done it” and that it was “poor judgement.”
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 11 at 10:30 a.m.
—Flannery Jewel, Ashton Nichols and George Shillcock contributed to this report.
