Ohio teenager who livestreamed rape of friend on Periscope jailed for nine months

An Ohio woman who livestreamed images of a friend being raped was sentenced to nine months in prison.

Marina A. Lonina, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing justice in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, Columbus Dispatch reported.

The sentence was agreed on by prosecution and defence lawyers as part of a plea deal.

Lonina had been held on charges of rape, sexual battery, kidnapping and pandering sexually oriented matter involving a juvenile for her role in the February 2016 rape of a 17-year-old girl by a 29-year-old man.

She pleaded guilty to obstructing justice, and admitted to failing to report the rape or provide evidence to police after the crime.

Raymond B Gates was sentenced to nine years in prison in October after pleading guilty to one count of rape in relation to the case.

Lonina and the victim met Gates in Columbus and went back to his residence on 26 February, 2016, the court heard. The following day the three returned to the apartment where they drank alcohol until the victim became heavily intoxicated. Gates then raped the victim, and Lonina live-streamed the attack on the Periscope app, said prosecutors.

The victim, now 18, read a statement in court saying she continues to have panic attacks since the rape. She said she thought Lonina was her friend, but "I was too gullible to see how manipulative she truly is," and alleged that Lonina spurred on the perpetrator to attack her.

Lonina's lawyer Sam Shamansky described claims that his client was responsible for the attack as "unmitigated nonsense."