A former Baylor University frat president accused of raping a woman repeatedly in 2016 will not face jail time after a Texas judge accepted a plea deal on Monday.
KTLA5 reports that the woman who accused Jacob Walter Anderson of taking her virginity and raping her numerous times is reportedly outraged by the judge’s decision, which allows Anderson to walk away with an unlawful restraint conviction, while avoiding more serious charges.
According to the victim, Anderson fed her spiked punch while at a party in 2016, then once she became woozy, led her from the Phi Delta Theta frat house to an outside tent, and raped her while she was confused and gagging.
“He stole my body, virginity and power over my body,” the woman reportedly said in court.
The woman said she was sexually assaulted until she lost consciousness. Afterward, when she woke up, she made her way back to the frat house and notified her friend of what transpired. Her friend drove her to a nearby hospital.
The woman who says she was raped said to the judge:
"I am devastated by your decision to let my rapist Jacob Walter Anderson go free without any punishment. Rape is a violent crime that alters the victim’s life and the life of everyone around them forever." pic.twitter.com/3EEYxN1FF9
— Jasmin Caldwell KCEN (@TVJasmin) December 10, 2018
“She woke up and she had vomited on herself,” Waco police spokesman Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said in 2016. “That’s the really scary part about this is very easily she could have choked to death on that and aspirated right there in the backyard. And he left her, left her alone in the backyard by herself. You just don’t do that to another human being.”
On Monday, Judge Strother said he made the decision to accept the plea deal after hearing both sides of argument via the prosecutor and defense attorneys. He indicated most of the information spread online showed that many people were “not fully informed, misinformed or totally uninformed” about the case.
Prosecutor Hilary LaBorde said the plea deal came after she too, heard all of the details of the case, details that the general public may not have been aware of.
“Conflicting evidence and statements exist in this case making the original allegation difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt…..Given the claims made publicly, I understand why people are upset. However, all of the facts must be considered and there are many facts that the public does not have. In approving this agreement, Judge Strother had access to all the statements that have ever been made by all people involved and agreed that the plea agreement offered was appropriate in this case.”
In addition to three years of deferred adjudication probation, Strother ordered Anderson to pay a $400 fine and attend psychological, alcohol and substance abuse counseling. With deferred adjudication, Anderson’s unlawful restraint charge could be dismissed in the future, as long as he doesn’t violate his probation agreement.
The victim later read an impact statement, reminding Anderson of what she endured in her life after the incident, according to the Washington Post.
“It must be horrible to be you.To know what you did to me. To know you are a rapist. To know that you almost killed me. To know that you ruined my life, stole my virginity and stole many other things from me.”
[Feature Photo: Jacob Walter Anderson/Police Handout]
