Ex-Williams Student Sentenced 3 years In Prison

Minutes after apologizing for the pain he'd caused his victim and those around him, a former Williams College student was sentenced to three years in prison for raping a classmate in 2014.

The Berkshire Eagle  reports Yoonsang Bae, 27, of Boston, was convicted of one count of rape following a two-day, jury-waived trial before Judge Michael Callan, who found Bae guilty on Sept. 13. He was held in custody pending Monday's sentencing hearing in Berkshire Superior Court.

Before the brief hearing got underway, Bae's attorney, Charles Dolan, asked the judge if his client, in shackles and a white jumpsuit, could be uncuffed and join him at the defense table rather than the defendant's seat.

Callan denied that request.

Bae raped a then-19-year-old woman at a dorm room in July 2014 after the two had been drinking during a weekend visit to the campus. Bae was staying on campus for a summer research project in late July 2014 when the victim visited a group of mutual friends, including Bae.

Assistant Berkshire District Attorney Stephanie Ilberg asked Callan to consider a prison sentence of five to seven years. Ilberg noted Bae has no prior criminal record but said he was someone the victim had trusted and considered something of a mentor or "big brother."

The victim, who did not appear in court, submitted a statement which Ilberg read aloud into the record. In it, the woman described feeling confused and terrified as she realized she had been raped.