Craigslist Cooperates with Wyoming Investigators in Bizaare Rape Case

Two men are accused in the crime. One is charged with carrying out the rape.The other, the woman's ex-boyfriend, is accused of posing as the victim on-line and claiming she harbored a rape fantasy and wanted to be assaulted.

Ty Oliver McDowell, 26, of Bar Nunn, a Casper Wyoming suburb, is charged with three counts of first-degree sexual assault,one count of kidnapping and one count of aggravated burglary. Jebidiah James Stipe, 27, a Marine based in Twentynine Palms, California is the victims ex-boyfriend. The 27-year-old Marine faces five felony charges, including conspiracy to commit first-degree sexual assault. A spokesperson for the Marine Corps said Stipe enlisted in July 2001 and, "was being processed for administrative separation as a result of a pattern of misconduct at the time of his arrest." Both men face life in prison if convicted.

Jebidiah James Stipe posted an ad on Craigslist on Dec. 5 that read, "Need a real aggressive man with no concerns for women well being interested let me know." Ty Oliver McDowell was one of several men that responded to the add via e-mail. Stipe pretending to be his ex-girlfriend, asked McDowel to carry out a rape fantasy and provided the Casper Wyoming address and a picture of the victim. The request asked for the act to include "humiliation, physical abuse (and) sexual abuse," according to courtroom testimony.

A few days prior to the rape, The victim had complained to the Natrona County Sheriff's Department that someone had made a false Craigslist posting about her, including photographs and personal information. The ad read, "Need a real aggressive man with no concern for women," authorities said.

Craigslist took the advertisement down when the woman complained. Yet prosecutors say it was posted long enough to catch the attention of Ty Oliver McDowell, a medical technologist who says's he thought he was helping the woman carry out a fantasy.

Because Craigslist started requiring a working telephone number and charging a small credit card fee for each personal ad, it increases the chance of criminals being caught when they use the site for their illegal purposes. Of course Craiglist is fully cooperating in this case.

source:
WRTV.