Monday, 30 March 2009 00:34
Guilty Of Rape
Amador County Crime - Jackson resident Larry Steven Smith, 51, was found guilty on March 26th of raping a woman at the National Hotel last November. Smith was found guilty by an Amador County Jury of the felony charges of rape of an intoxicated person and rape of an unconscious person, and a misdemeanor sexual battery. According to District Attorney Todd Riebe, Smith and another man were captured on surveillance video groping and “taking advantage of the victim’s incapacitation.” Smith and his male companion are seen taking the 40-year-old woman from the Fargo Club to the National Hotel, where the companion uses the victim’s credit card to rent a room at the hotel. Smith and the other male take the victim up to her room and leave. Smith is later shown on video returning to the victim’s room. The victim testified that she was shopping in Jackson for the first time and entered the Fargo Club to have a drink. She said she ordered a second drink and the next thing she remembered was waking up in a hotel room next to Smith. The victim reported the crime to Jackson police the next day. Riebe said the video surveillance was the crucial piece of evidence in the case. “The video clearly demonstrated Smith’s intent to take advantage of the victim’s capacity,” he said. Smith’s sentencing date will be determined on March 27th. He faces up to eight years in state prison. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.