Reporting from Denver β The advertisement appeared on Craigslist in early December. Its purported author was a Casper, Wyo. In fact, authorities say, the woman had nothing to do with the ad. Instead, they say, a former boyfriend had posted it, soliciting her assault. Such an incident would have been impossible -- or at least much less likely -- 20 years ago, Natrona County Dist.
Mike Blonigen said. For Craigslist, the San Francisco-based website used by millions to sell and barter goods and services, the incident comes after a year punctuated by legal battles over its adult advertisements, as well as the highly publicized Boston slaying of a woman who advertised erotic services on the site.
Craigslist also has made headlines for cases of impersonation, including one last year in which a Long Island, N. The Wyoming case began to unfold Dec. Jebidiah James Stipe, 27, a Carbon, Wyo. On Dec. He bound, blindfolded and gagged the year-old woman, then raped her as he pressed a knife to her throat, the affidavit said.
McDowell was arrested and charged with first-degree sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated burglary. Stipe was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree sexual assault. A maintenance mechanic who enlisted in the Marines in , Stipe was in the process of being ejected for an undisclosed pattern of misconduct at the time of his arrest, a Marine Corps spokeswoman said. But as for the alleged rapist, Blonigen said his state of mind would be central to the case.
Though jurors must weigh what McDowell believed to be true, they also must consider how a reasonable, objective person would view the situation, he said. Blonigen said that although Craigslist officials had cooperated with the investigation, the fact that they published sexually suggestive ads also facilitated the crime. Do we censor the Internet? Yet Internet-based crimes do make it easier for police to track down suspects because they leave a cyber-trail, Calo said.
