COLUMBUS, OH — A woman has been indicted by a Grand Jury on charges she used the social media app Periscope to live stream her own friend’s rape.
According to Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, 18-year-old Marina Alexeevna Lonina and a 17-year-old friend were socializing with 29-year-old Raymond Boyd Gates at a residence on Christina Lane, February 27, when at some point, Gates allegedly forced sexual intercourse with the victim.
O’Brien says that Lonina started live streaming the sexual assault over the social media app Periscope. Lonina also photographed the victim nude the night before the alleged sexual assault, according to O’Brien.
Authorities were notified of the sexual assault by another friend of Lonina’s who watched the Periscope live stream in another state.
Lonina and Gates have both been indicted on one count kidnapping, two counts of rape, one county of sexual battery, three counts of pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor.
Lonina also faces two counts of illegal use of minor in nudity oriented material or performance for allegedly photographing the victim naked.
“If Gates and Lonina are convicted for these charges, they each face a potential sentence in excess of forty years in prison”, O’Brien said.
