The Marina Lonina case refers to the 2016 Columbus, Ohio prosecution of an 18-year-old woman who used the Twitter-owned app Periscope to livestream the rape of her 17-year-old friend. Lonina was initially charged with rape, kidnapping, sexual battery, and two child-pornography-related felonies, but she ultimately pleaded guilty to a single count of obstructing justice and was sentenced to nine months in prison.
What Happened on February 27, 2016
Lonina, then 18, was with her 17-year-old friend and 29-year-old Raymond Gates at a Columbus residence. All three had been drinking, and prosecutors later alleged the victim’s ability to resist or consent was substantially impaired.1The Guardian. Ohio Teen Live Stream Rape Periscope Gates sexually assaulted the teenager while Lonina filmed and broadcast the attack live on Periscope.
The assault lasted roughly ten minutes. Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said the victim could be heard on the video screaming “stop” and “no” throughout.2CBS Austin. Two Plead Not Guilty to Charges of Rape, Livestreaming Rape More than 700 people watched the stream. Only one, a friend of Lonina’s who lived in another state, called authorities. That single call led to police intervention.3Boston College Law Review. Bystander Liability in the Digital Age
Prosecutors also alleged Lonina had taken nude photographs of the same victim the night before, on February 26, which produced a separate felony count.1The Guardian. Ohio Teen Live Stream Rape Periscope
The Original Charges and the Plea Deal
A Franklin County grand jury indicted Lonina on April 13, 2016 on five felonies: rape, kidnapping, sexual battery, pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, and illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.4Fox 29. Ohio Woman Accused of Livestreaming Alleged Rape of Teen Friend O’Brien told reporters she could face more than 40 years in prison if convicted on all counts.5Time. Ohio Sexual Assault Periscope
Her defense attorney, Sam Shamansky, argued Lonina was not a willing participant. He said she was “in the habit of filming everything” on Periscope and had turned to her viewers for help, asking “What should I do now? What should I do now?”6WLWT. Two Plead Not Guilty to Charges of Rape, Livestreaming Rape Shamansky called her “along for the ride” and said “the rapist was in court and it was not my client.”7Everett Herald. Ohio Teen Accused of Livestreaming Friend’s Rape O’Brien countered that the video showed her attempting to help only briefly and that she “got taken up with all the ‘likes’ that her livestream was getting and therefore continued to do it, and did nothing to aid the victim.”8CBS News. Ohio Teen Claims She Livestreamed 10-Minute Rape for Evidence
The case never went to trial. Lonina pleaded guilty to a single count of obstructing justice, admitting she failed to report the rape and failed to turn over evidence of the crime.9CBC News. Periscope Livestream Assault Plea In exchange, all five original charges were dropped.10WLWT. Woman Who Livestreamed Rape of Teen Gets 9 Months in Prison On February 13, 2017, she was sentenced to nine months in prison and was reportedly allowed a delay in reporting to custody so she could finish school.11Columbus Dispatch. Streaming Rape Case Featured
Why the Plea Was Structured That Way
The obstructing justice charge was chosen with two consequences in mind. Because it is not a sex offense, Lonina was not required to register as a sex offender. And because the record could eventually be sealed, she preserved a path to expungement, though she must wait ten years from her conviction before applying.11Columbus Dispatch. Streaming Rape Case Featured
What Happened to Raymond Gates
Gates pleaded guilty to one count of rape and was sentenced to nine years in prison. He must register as a sex offender upon release.12ABC 6 On Your Side. Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Rape Livestreamed on Periscope Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction records list him at Allen Correctional Institution with an expected release date of September 13, 2026, followed by five years of supervised release.13Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Offender Search – Raymond B. Gates
Why the Case Is Still Cited
Legal scholars have identified the incident as the first known instance in the United States of a sexual assault being livestreamed by a third party on a social media platform. The disparity between the 700-plus viewers and the single caller drew attention to “Bad Samaritan” laws that require witnesses to report crimes. Many of those statutes were written before smartphones, and some limit the duty to report to witnesses who are “physically present,” language that may not reach someone watching a stream from another state.3Boston College Law Review. Bystander Liability in the Digital Age
Ohio has a statute requiring people who know a felony is being committed to report it, but the law does not contain specific language addressing crimes witnessed by livestream, and it has not been amended in response to this case.14Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Section 2921.22 – Failure to Report a Crime The Lonina prosecution reached only the person holding the phone, not the audience watching. Whether anyone in that audience could be charged under existing law remains an open question.