Man Who Raped Friend While Drunk Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

BETHESDA, MD — A Rockville man who raped a friend and fellow West Virginia University classmate when they were both drunk after a night out at Bethesda bars was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday. Richard Morse, 22, was convicted in September of second-degree rape. A judge noted that the woman who was assaulted was “physically and mentally incapacitated when this happened.”

Morse must serve at least two and a half years in prison before he will be eligible for parole.

The victim, Morse, and a group of his friends drank heavily on May 17, 2015, at the former Tommy Joe's Restaurant and Bar in Bethesda. The group then went to a friend's Potomac home where Morse later entered a guest bedroom and raped the woman, who was asleep and incapacitated. During the trial, the woman testified that she was highly intoxicated and passed out, but awoke twice to find Morse having sex with her, although she tried to shove him away, and eventually left the home with friends.

Judge David Boynton said at sentencing that Morse failed to take responsibility for his actions, and he did not apologize for assaulting the woman, reports Bethesda Magazine. The judge could have sentenced Morse to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors surprised the defense in court by quoting a jailhouse phone call where Morse recently joked about pretending to be a recovering alcoholic in attempt to buy sympathy from the judge, WJLA reports.

Morse will be eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence. As part of his sentence, Morse must undergo drug and alcohol treatment, routine drug and alcohol testing, and register with the sex offender registry for life. After he leaves prison, Morse will be on probation for five years.