Jury: 46 months for doc guilty of secretly taping mids

Jury: 46 months for doc guilty of secretly taping mids
By Stephen Manning - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Nov 9, 2007 17:04:38 EST

A Navy jury Friday sentenced a Navy doctor to 46 months in the brig for using a hidden camera to videotape Naval Academy midshipmen engaged in sex acts in his home.

The jury of six Navy captains deliberated for six hours over two days before finding Cmdr. Kevin Ronan guilty of seven counts of conduct unbecoming an officer, three counts of illegal wiretapping and one count of obstruction of justice.

The jury deliberated for almost four more hours before sentencing Ronan to time in the brig and dismissal from the service.

Ronan, 41, stood at attention and showed no visible reaction as the verdict was read at the Washington Navy Yard.

Navy prosecutors alleged Ronan used a camera hidden in an air purifier to tape the male midshipmen having sex with girlfriends or masturbating while they stayed in guest bedrooms at his home in Annapolis, Md. They were there as part of an academy program that places students in private homes during their free time.

Ronan testified this week that he bought the device to make sure the students didn’t throw parties while he wasn’t home. He said he tested it once but later used it only to clean the air in the spare bedrooms, not for taping.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/11/ap_navy_ronanguilty_071109w/