This guy is sincerely sick in the head. And it's kind of despicable he's just chalking up to being drunk and out walking around.

Look, we've all boned while drunk. Generally we stick around afterwards and have a conversation about it.

But if suddenly a half a dozen women all show up and say they don't really remember having consensual sex with you and they feel really, really shitty about it... you (and law enforcement) don't just get to walk away shrugging.

It's not just one of those things everyone experiences like losing their keys. You're a rapist. You're a rapist after the first one you drugged. Let alone the third or fourth.

I never reported either. It was a close friend, I was blacked out drunk and he jumped in my cab. I felt safer having someone to street by now stumbling ass I guess We did kiss, but nothing more. Next thing I know I'm on my bed half naked from the waist down in my house with my iPod stonlen. It happens to 1/5 of us, your are not alone.

@2 Agreed. I'd probably be willing to forgive one "misunderstanding", but when it happens multiple times, there is some crystal clear understanding going on.

That being said, this dude must have some serious game and a network of friends that "vouch for him" despite alienating score of women over the years.

Hey I remember that graffiti! My thought at the time: "Boy, that guy I barely know sure has problems!" (BTW I'm a guy too). See, that's the problem with brief, vague graffiti: no context, no sense of authority, not a lot to differentiate it from all the other political/personal/nonsensical/artsy-fartsy graffiti & screed-type fliers that were everywhere back then. This is all very sad...

But -- obviously I'm changing the subject, but I don't mean to seem glib -- it's got me thinking about another graffiti from back then (early aughts) that I always wanted to know the story behind: a spray-painted house with flames rising from its roof and windows, and a river of water flowing out its front door. Often accompanied by the words "Our Sin." This was around the time that a lot of empty commercial buildings burned down at night in downtown Olympia. Anyone know any more?

@5, can you give an example of how you might have written the graffiti if it were you, to give it that sense of authority?

@6 No, because I was -- what? -- 24, 25, 26, and not only did I have no experience with rape, I *had no experience taking what I read on bathroom walls seriously.* That's my point, the end.

Totally fucked up. On the porn jobs scam could you go after him in civil court for fraud? Make him bleed money out of his ass.

People get totally shit-faced and are surprised stuff hapens? What about "Personal Responsibility"?

@3 Your statistics are wrong. It is definitely not 1 in 5. More like 1 out of 1750. Does not mean it is right. But your stats are just not true.

@10 - 1 in 5, asshole. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact…

http://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files…

@9 That's victim blaming. choosing to become intoxicated does not mean you are responsible for being raped. How bout you hold the rapist accountable instead of blaming the victim. Getting crazy drunk does not mean you deserve to be raped, asshole.

@9, accusation of rape is just as good (maybe better) than being convicted of rape in a court of law.

@11, @12: That first link also includes attempted rape. And I would presume that the same goes for the second, though they don't define it. Not that either number is okay, of course. I only wade in because you called the other poster an asshole, but the number he/she quotes might well be a legitimate number for reported rapes (though I'm not sure) whereas the 1/5 includes attempted rape and also attempts to extrapolate unreported rape, since that is a huge issue. I guess I'm just saying that being a jerk to someone who might be misinformed but seems to not have ill will was a lost opportunity to educate.

it may be a legit number for REPORTED rapes, but we all know that the vast majority of rapes go unreported, right? Seems to me that person was being willfully ignorant. The number he cited was the number you get at the top of the page when you google "rape statistics" without doing any research about where the number came from. The first article I posted explains where the number came from and why it's incorrect. I shouldn't have to be educating people just because they're lazy, and lazy people who try to post "facts" about rape are assholes.

And he posted it in response to a rape victim who cited the correct statistic. Asshole.

Maybe you shouldn't have to. But it seems more productive than calling names and making them defensive. Someone seeing a thoughtful response might think, "oh, I didn't realize that" and not give out bad info in the future, or even repeat the better info. Someone being dismissed as an asshole likely won't. Seems like this and many other serious issues need more allies for a change in the way society thinks. But whatever. Carry on. I'll stop before I'm an asshole, too.

You're not an asshole, pk.

I feel all over the world there's a Civil War happening: People -- to widely varying degrees -- being uncivil to other people.

@20 blah blah your comment is boring. Heard before, refuted before. The bold all caps tho seems defensive- are you doing some "NOT RAPE" lately? Are you Matt hickey?

@20 also did not read article - this isn't about the audition women

@14. You are an idiot. Being accused of rape does not mean that it has been committed. It is not "guilty" till proven innocent. It is "innocent" till proven guilty. Also, there is some personal responsibility. Do not out yourself in a situation where you will be, most likely, taken advantage of like a moron. Take precautions and do not get shitfaced with a stranger you are about "audition" with. Common sense, people.

@10 That is the bogus statistic that was based on a ludicrous internet survey that talks about rape on campus. No one takes that statistic seriously. Unfortunately, feminazis, like yourself, tend to blow everything out of proportion. Back at you, asshole.

No one? Ha. The fucking president does. Do some research. Also, you just @'d your own comment. Idiot.

@25 Yeah president also believes that the wage gap is real, which any economist will tell you is not. He is a politician that is trying to appeal to women, and will go with any feminist myth. Idiot.

This is part of the reason why rape is often unreported, we blame the victim, we say they have more responsibility than the rapist, we fear reporting it will lead no where and just stir up more emotions. As a culture we need to change. Do I think we need as women need to be more cautious, yes I do, and I am speaking from the side of a woman who was sexually assaulted when intoxicated. While I need to be careful, I should also expect other people to respect me, especially in an instance where women were hoping for a safe walk home or a safe date. I find it odd that he did not know he was raping a highly intoxicated woman and that his friends were and probably are so willing to vouch for him. Instead of blaming the victims we need to look at our system and find a way to change it. Rape is never ok, whether it is a man or female being raped.

And as for the wage gap, it is not just Obama who believes it is true, it is also republicans, liberals, and the women it is happening to

there are as many people who say the wage gap is real as there are that say it isn't, so being arrogant about your stance on it is more ideological than it is rational

The article says that, "SafePlace confirmed that Byrd used its resources in 2001."

It's important to know that for organizations such as SafePlace, contact with clients is strictly confidential. A journalist can't just call and get a confirmation, nor can anyone else.

To confirm that a particular individual used its resources, such organizations would have to have a signed Release of Information from the client, specifying what information they could provide and to whom.

Alternatively, a client can request a Verification of Services, which they could then show to anyone they choose. But that's entirely up to the client. Organizations such as SafePlace will not confirm contact with anyone without that person's permission.

Rape survivors need to know that the law protects their confidentiality. A list of Washington state accredited programs, which must by state law be confidential, can be found here:

http://www.wcsap.org/find-help

@29 Byrd gave SafePlace permission to confirm with me that she used their services.