A FEMALE university professor has been found guilty of raping a severely disabled, cerebral-palsy stricken man.
DJ, as the victim is known, is unable to speak, needs help eating and walking and is forced to wear diapers. His mother and brother, who act as his legal guardians, say he is intellectually disabled.
Dr Anna Stubblefield, who claims to have had a consensual relationship with the 34-year-old man, was convicted of two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault.
The former university professor, from New Jersey, broke down in sobs when she heard she faces up to 40 years in prison.
Stubblefield, who claims to be “in love” with her victim, said she was encouraged he could spell words, point to cards and share information with her after she helped him communicate by steadying his hand tremors to help him use a keyboard.
Her lawyer, James Patton, said: “everyone agrees [DJ] has substantial physical disabilities” but added: “All evidence shows a mutually loving relationship and they made conscious decisions before going ahead.”
However prosecutor Eric Plant claimed Stubblefield preyed on DJ for her own “sexual gratification” and sought to isolate him.
He said: “if she loved DJ the way she’s professed she did, she would not have acted the way she did. She put a person with cerebral palsy on an exercise mat on a dirty carpet. That’s love?”
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