New Brunswick, New Jersey:
Opening statements have begun in the trial of 19-year-old Dharun Ravi. He faces 15 criminal counts, including invasion of privacy, bias intimidation and charges that allege he tried to cover his tracks.
The case touched off a national discussion about bullying of young gays after Ravi's roommate Tyler Clementi killed himself in September 2010, days after the alleged spying.
Prosecutor Julia McClure told jurors on Friday in her opening statement in Ravi's trial that he began telling friends he was unhappy to have a gay roommate soon after he got his first-year housing assignment from Rutgers in August 2010. "His acts were not good natured. They were purposeful, intentional and planned. They were mean spirited, malicious and criminal; and meant to cross one of the most sacred boundaries of human activity- engaging in sexual activity with another person." Ms McClure said.
Ravi rejected a plea bargain offer that would have let him avoid jail time and receive the state's help if federal authorities tried to deport him to India, where he was born. His attorney Steven Altman said he did not accept the plea deal because he is not guilty of any crimes.
It took four days to select a jury of 16, including four alternates. The trial is expected to last three to four weeks and will likely delve into text messages, tweets and online chats from Clementi and Ravi.
Ravi is accused of using the webcam on his computer to check on Clementi when he'd asked to have the room to himself so he could have company. He later posted a Twitter message about it: "Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into Molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."
Initially, Molly Wei, another freshman Rutgers student, was also charged in the case. But she entered a pre-trial intervention program last year that allows her to avoid jail time and emerge without a criminal record if she meets a list of conditions for three years. She also agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in their case against Ravi.
Thus far, the other man in the video has been identified only as M.B., but if he is brought to the witness stand he could be a key part of the trial.
Two nights after the first alleged spying incident, authorities say Ravi tried to repeat the spying.
The next day, Clementi jumped from the George Washington Bridge, leaving behind a Facebook status updated: "Jumping off the gw bridge, sorry."
(With inputs from AP)