Witness: Ravi Planned 'Viewing Party' to Spy on Clementi

A witness testified Monday that Dharun Ravi planned to hold a 'viewing party' with other Rutgers students to secretly watch roommate Tyler Clementi having a romantic encounter with another man, and said in a text that the webcam on his computer would 'keep the gays away'.

Michelle Huang, a friend of Ravi's from high school enrolled at Cornell University, testified that Ravi sent her a text message that he was planning on holding a 'viewing party' with dormmates to witness Clementi have sex with another man on Sept. 21, according to WNYC.

The 'viewing party,' which was to include alcohol, never took place. Clementi that night pulled the cord on Ravi's webcam pointed at his bed, according to prosecutors.

Ravi, 20, of Plainsboro, is facing 15 charges – including bias intimidation, evidence tampering and invasion of privacy – related to allegations he spied on Clementi and targeted him because he was gay.

Clementi, a native of Ridgewood,  the day after Ravi sent the text message to Huang. Ravi is not charged with having  but the bias intimidation charge alone could lead to 10 years in prison. Should any charge stick, he could be deported to India.

Prosecutors say Sept. 21 was the second time Ravi attempted to watch and broadcast Clementi romantically involved with another man. Students previously testified seeing Clementi and another man shirtless and kissing on Ravi's webcam days prior.

According to a report in The New York Times, in a text message Ravi told Huang he was "so creeped out after Sunday," the first day prosecutors contend Ravi spied on Clementi.

The Times reports Huang jokingly said Clementi and his lover, identified in court only as "M.B.," might use Ravi's bed, to which Ravi replied: "My webcam checks my bed, hahaha."

Ravi later wrote, "Yeah, keep the gays away," according to testimony. He subsequently recommended Huang watch the live feed. Prosecutors say Ravi also sent Twitter messages inviting others to view Clementi with "M.B."

On cross-examination from the defense, Huang said she never heard Ravi say anything negative about a gay person, The New York Daily News reported. Other students had also said during the two weeks of testimony they hadn't heard Ravi make disparaging remarks about gays or express hatred toward his roommate.

Defense Attorney Steve Altman has said Ravi's actions may have been immature and foolish, but they were not bigoted and or criminal.

Altman has built a defense around the position that Ravi was fearful his iPod would be stolen by "M.B.," described as an older, unkempt male. 

A Rutgers computer systems administrator is expected to testify Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.