Pardoned Jan. 6 defendant found guilty of assault for touching woman's hair
Pardoned Jan. 6 defendant found guilty of assault for touching woman's hair
A D.C. judge found Bryan Betancur guilty of simple assault after he secretly filmed himself touching a woman's hair on a Metro train and posted the video online. Betancur faces up to 180 days in prison, with sentencing scheduled for the following day.
WASHINGTON - Bryan Betancur was found guilty of simple assault after a day-long trial, according to D.C. Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein.
The ruling came after Betancur filmed himself touching a woman’s hair without her knowledge while riding the Metro Red Line in February.
After a lengthy trial, Judge Epstein ruled that prosecutors had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Betancur assaulted the woman, who is identified in court documents as GC.
She testified that the incident left her feeling unsettled about being in public, saying it makes her feel "more paranoid and more exposed."
Betancur, who wore an orange jumpsuit in court, showed little emotion when the verdict was read and has been in custody since April 8.
What we know:
GC told the judge that she did not realize what happened until the video, which Betancur filmed and posted on February 28, went viral, and her colleagues saw it on X.
Trial begins for man accused in Metro hair touching assaults
A man accused of recording himself touching women’s hair on Metro is set to face a judge Wednesday. Bryan Betancur, a pardoned January 6 defendant, has been held in jail since April.
Investigators from Metro Transit Police and the FBI had to collect metadata from Twitter to prove the person in the video was Betancur, despite his face not being visible. They also had to address whether touching a person’s hair can be considered assault, even if the victim was not aware at the time, something the judge ultimately recognized.
The government said it plans to ask for more than the time already served, about 125 days, though he faces a maximum of 180 days in jail. Betancur is also facing separate charges related to stalking.
What's next:
The judge set sentencing for Thursday at 2 p.m.
What we don't know:
Details on the outcome of Betancur's separate stalking charges have not been provided by authorities at this time.
The Source: Information in this article comes from D.C. Courts and FOX 5 reporting.