1-year jail sentence in New Hampshire prep school sexual assault

A former student at an elite New Hampshire prep school who was convicted of sexually assaulting an underage classmate will learn this afternoon whether he would be sent to prison or serve probation.

In the statement, she said that she was living with "almost constant" fear since she had been attacked by the accused.

St. Paul's School has vehemently stressed that this so-called senior tradition was not sanctioned by the school and was against school policy.

While the defense appeals to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, Labrie will be out on bail and mandated curfew at his mother's home in Vermont. The jury also found Labrie guilty of using computer services to lure a minor, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail.

The case scandalized St. Paul's School in Concord, a 159-year-old institution that has long educated future members of America's elite.

They also allege that Labrie had been involved with the victim's sister and in part targeted the victim because he "wanted the elevated status of 'slaying sisters.'" Labrie showed outrage when he was turned down in his sexual conquests and showed "a complete disregard for the legal age of consent", prosecutors say.

Besides the felony, Labrie also was convicted in August of three counts of misdemeanor sexual assault and one count of child endangerment.

A video statement was offered by the victim, who claims she was raped by Labrie, during the hearing.

He will be given the opportunity to address the court before he is sentenced. "The consequences that you spoke about all revolve around yourself and your family - I do not consider you the victim", he told Labrie. "And that I would be better off dead than have to deal with the awful things that every day were thrown in my direction, after doing the right thing".

The judge was clear in his sentencing, telling Labrie that being acquitted of rape charges did not mean that the sex was consensual, and that "in a few ways, you're a very good liar", according to tweets.

The charges carry up to 11 years in prison. "I'm so scared that he will do this again", she said. "Yet because he prearranged the encounter through email and Facebook, he will be subjected to the scrutiny and humiliation of sex offender registration for the rest of his life".

The family's "normal" is no more, she said. In addition, the judge imposed five years of probation and completion of a psychosexual evaluation.

In one message, prosecutors said, Labrie said his style was to "feign intimacy... then stab them in the back..."

In trial, he admitted to bragging about having intercourse with her in an academic building to his friends. She also took Carney to task for suggesting in his final arguments that she took "the easy way out" by accusing Labrie of raping her.

"He's now known by so many people as the St Paul's rapist even though the jury rejected that moniker", Mr Carney said. After the verdict last month, Carney had said, "A conviction like this is like a brand", further adding, "One teenager was found guilty of having consensual sex with another teenager".