The two Steubenville high-school football players who stood trial this week on rape charges were found guilty this morning.
The trial, which divided a small Ohio town and uncovered a history of adults associated with the football program protecting players from prosecution, came to a close Sunday morning as Trent Mays and Ma'lik Richmond were found delinquent by the juvenile court, which was decided by a sole judge and not a jury. The two boys will be jailed a minimum of one year, and now face a possible sentence of juvenile jail until they turn 21.
Details of the rape of the 16-year-old West Virginia girl spread through social media the morning after an August 11th party where Mays was seen leaving with the intoxicated girl. A series of texts and tweets from phones confiscated by the state were used as evidence against the defendants. A photo of the unconscious girl being carried by undisclosed males surfaced online months after the assault.
The Ohio Attorney General will announce later today whether additional charges will be brought in the case, including against other boys at the party.