A student at the University of Southern California (USC) has been cleared of rape charges after the release of security camera footage showing his alleged victim leading him to her dorm room and making sexually suggestive gestures.
Arman Premjee, 20, was accused by an unnamed female USC student of raping her in her dorm on April 1. Premjee met the unidentified 19-year-old at Banditos Taco & Tequila in Los Angeles earlier that same night.
Eventually, the two left Banditos together, with a female friend of the accuser in tow. Security camera footage from inside and outside the nightclub shows his accuser repeatedly taking Premjee by the hand and dragging him around as he plays on his phone. At one point she kisses him. In another instance, she makes the widely-understood gesture for sex–a finger going into a hole made by the opposite hand–at her friend while Premjee’s back is turned.
Additional security camera footage from the woman’s dormitory shows her signing Premjee in under the watch of a security guard in a well-lit lobby.
In May, prosecutors charged Premjee with rape. They argued that his alleged victim was too drunk to consent. He faced 10 years in prison but consistently maintained his innocence. Speaking with CBS News, he said:
“She knew what she was doing, she was able to stand on her own two feet, she led the way.”
After seeing the videos of the night in question, the Los Angeles Superior Court judge overseeing the case agreed. Premjee was cleared of the charges on July 31.
USC is currently conducting their own investigation and Premjee could still be expelled.
[image via screengrab/liveleak]
Follow Colin Kalmbacher on Twitter: @colinkalmbacher