Mike Tyson’s rape conviction was handed down on February 10, 1992, when a Marion County, Indiana jury found the former heavyweight champion guilty of one count of rape and two counts of criminal deviate conduct against 18-year-old Desiree Washington. Judge Patricia Gifford sentenced him to six years in prison. He served about three, and he remains on a sex offender registry today.
What Happened in Indianapolis in July 1991
Indianapolis hosted the Miss Black America pageant that summer, and Tyson was invited to pageant-related events. There he met Washington, who was competing as Miss Black Rhode Island. Early in the morning on July 19, 1991, Tyson brought her to his room at the Canterbury Hotel. The next day Washington went to the emergency room at Methodist Hospital and reported that Tyson had raped her. She also filed a police report, and a grand jury returned an indictment shortly afterward.
The Charges Against Tyson
Special prosecutor Greg Garrison filed the case for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. The lead charge was rape under Indiana Code 35-42-4-1, which at the time defined the offense as knowingly having sexual intercourse with another person through force or the threat of force. In the early 1990s version of the statute, that was a Class B felony carrying a presumptive ten-year sentence.1Justia. Saunders v. State
Two counts of criminal deviate conduct under Indiana Code 35-42-4-2 covered forced sexual acts beyond intercourse and carried the same Class B felony penalties. A fourth charge, criminal confinement, was filed but dismissed during trial.2Justia. Tyson v. State Because each distinct act could be charged separately, Tyson faced substantial cumulative exposure if convicted on the remaining counts.3Justia. Tyson v. Trigg
The Trial
The case came down to a credibility contest. Washington testified that she went to the hotel room expecting to talk, that Tyson physically restrained her, and that he forced himself on her despite repeated refusals. She described specific acts of forced intercourse and other sexual contact that formed the basis for both the rape and the deviate conduct counts.
Tyson took the stand and denied it. He said the encounter was consensual, that Washington willingly came to the Canterbury Hotel with a mutual understanding of what would happen, and that he used no force. The jury had to choose between the two accounts.
The prosecution backed Washington’s testimony with medical evidence. An emergency room physician from Methodist Hospital described findings consistent with forceful penetration, including abrasions and trauma documented in an examination the day after. Hotel staff testified that Washington appeared visibly distressed leaving the building. A limousine driver and other pageant contestants described Tyson’s behavior around the incident. The defense pushed back on inconsistencies in timing and description.
Verdict and Sentence
After roughly ten hours of deliberation over two days, the jury convicted Tyson on all three remaining counts: one count of rape and two counts of criminal deviate conduct, each a Class B felony.2Justia. Tyson v. State
Judge Gifford sentenced Tyson to ten years on each count, running concurrently, then suspended four years, leaving a six-year executed sentence. The court also imposed $30,000 in fines and ordered four years of probation after release. Before sentence was imposed, Tyson told the court, “I’m not guilty of this crime.”
The Appeals
Tyson hired Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz for the appeal. The defense argued that the trial court made prejudicial evidentiary rulings, singling out the exclusion of testimony from witnesses who claimed Washington had expressed romantic interest in Tyson. The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed, holding that the trial court acted within its discretion.2Justia. Tyson v. State
The Indiana Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court both declined to take the case, ending direct review.4FindLaw. Tyson v. Trigg A later federal habeas corpus petition was denied by the district court and the Seventh Circuit.3Justia. Tyson v. Trigg
Why He Served Three Years Instead of Six
Tyson served his time at the Indiana Youth Center. His actual time in custody was cut roughly in half by Indiana’s good-time credit system. Under Indiana Code 35-50-6-3.1, inmates in the best behavior classification earn one day of credit for every day served.5Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-50-6-3.1 – Credit Time Classes
He was released on March 25, 1995, after about three years. Release came with the four-year probationary term set at sentencing, which required check-ins with a probation officer and compliance with all state laws. Violations could have triggered the suspended four years.
Sex Offender Registration
The conviction carries a lifetime registration requirement. As of 2026, Tyson appears on Florida’s Sexual Offender and Predator registry under the qualifying offense “Sex Offense, Other State (Rape),” with an adjudication date of February 10, 1992, in Marion County, Indiana.6Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Sexual Offender and Predator System Registration obligations generally follow the offender to any state of residence, so the requirement travels with him. His registry status is listed as “Released – Subject to Registration,” meaning the obligation remains active and enforceable.