R.I. Officer Convicted of Raping Lesbian

A Providence, R.I., police officer was convicted Thursday of raping a lesbian in a police substation three years ago.

Marcus Huffman was found guilty of first-degree sexual assault after deliberations lasting one day. The prosecutor cited Huffman as a flight risk and danger to the public, and as a result he will be held without bail.

"The jury verdict today is an important step towards holding Officer Huffman fully accountable for his horrific actions," Providence mayor David Cicilline said in a statement.

Huffman will face a possible life sentence. His lawyer said he plans to appeal.

The victim, now 22, cried as the verdict was announced, the Associated Press reported. She testified that Huffman raped her in the bathroom of a substation after picking her up from a nightclub where she was denied entry for being too drunk.

The woman said she could not remember what happened inside the bathroom but woke up with her pants undone and her undergarments removed, after which she walked to her aunt's house and was taken to the hospital where Huffman took her report.

The trial began last month in Providence, where several other police officers have been charged with crimes.