'You destroyed me': Teen confronts classmate who raped her

LANSING – The young woman stood at a courtroom podium and described how a sexual assault last year during a high school lunch hour has devastated her.

"The day that you raped me," the teen said, addressing Edward "E.J." Jackson at his sentence hearing Wednesday, "I convinced myself I was going to die.

"That feeling has truly never left me."

Jackson, 17, was sentenced to seven to 15 years in prison. He pleaded no contest last month in Ingham County Circuit Court to third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a deal Judge Rosemarie Aquilina called "the plea of a lifetime." Jackson had faced up to life in prison on a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge.

The attack happened the afternoon of Sept. 9, 2014 on Eastern High School's grounds.

Both were students at the time. Jackson was the all-state running back for Eastern's football team, and according to his attorney, a straight-A student. The victim said she had to withdraw from the school sometime after the incident. The Lansing State Journal does not name victims of sexual assault.

Reading from a written statement, she said her dreams for the school year "were all crushed in an instant." She said she now suffers from panic attacks, depression and insomnia. She has contemplated suicide.

"I force myself to stay awake because every time I close my eyes, I see your face," she said. "I wake up in the middle of the night screaming and crying... I trusted you, and you destroyed me."

She spoke in a loud voice that occasionally broke with emotion.

'No Means No'

Behind her, filling several rows of seats were supporters of Jackson as well as her family, who wore T-shirts that read, "No Means No." The first "o" was in the shape of a looped ribbon.

Before the attack, Jackson and the teen had agreed to meet during a lunch period. She told police she believed they were going to have lunch somewhere. Jackson picked her up in a school parking lot in a truck and drove to a secluded area near a maintenance garage behind the school's athletics facility.

According to a police report, Jackson forced himself on the teen, who was able to get away from him and run from the vehicle. Jackson chased her down and "pushed her back into the (vehicle)."

After pinning her arms down with his forearm, Jackson raped her inside the truck, according to a police report. At one point, Jackson "choked her with both his hands wrapped around her neck."

She reported the rape the same afternoon, and Lansing police met with her and her mother at the school.

Since then, she said in court Wednesday, she has been harassed and seen her photograph circulated on social media.

"I've had my life threatened. And I've (been) told that everyone hopes that I get raped again," she said. "It has never stopped."

Judge praises strength

Aquilina praised the teen for her strength in deciding to speak. The judge urged her to not let what happened define her.

"Let this be the starting point of all good things," Aquilina said.

"OK," the teen responded and smiled for a moment.

To Jackson, Aquilina said: "In every context, 'no' means 'no.' And that's a message that needs to ring throughout this city."

She added: "You're going to have a lot of time to think about what 'no' means."

When given a chance to speak, Jackson asked for forgiveness.

"From the bottom of my heart, I am deeply remorseful," he said. "I'd also like to apologize to my family, the school and the community for the embarrassment and shame that I brought to them."