Man charged in Craigslist rape-for-hire case (video)

Jun 15, 2009

DIANA RUGG

Authorities say they are confident that a North Carolina man charged with rape for an encounter arranged on Craigslist knew that it was not consensual.

Rodney Liverman, 39, is charged with first degree rape and sexual offenses.

Kannapolis Police and Stanly County sheriff’s deputies arrested Liverman at his home Friday.

Captain Chuck Adams of the Kannapolis Police Department said the Secret Service helped detectives trace Liverman through his computer connection.

“They were able to track down the original IP address that was connected to the former suspect that’s already been charged,” said Capt. Adams.

Police have been trying to find the man since arresting the woman’s husband for the crime.

The husband has not been identified in order to protect the wife’s identity.

He is currently in the Cabarrus County Jail under $200,000 bond.

Liverman is being held in the same jail under $250,000 bond.

Questions have been raised about whether the alleged rapist knew he was committing a crime, or thought he was taking part in consensual role-play.

Captain Adams said police are “confident” Liverman knew it was not consensual.

“The information leading up to this encounter has made it clear to us that this individual should have known this was not going to be a role-play,” said Adams. “I don’t know of anything that would indicate to us that she had any knowledge of anything that would transpire or did transpire.”

The attack occurred May 31 at a home in Kannapolis, about 25 miles northeast of Charlotte.

Police said a man entered a home with a knife and went into the woman’s bedroom, demanded money and ordered her to take off her clothes, before raping her.

The victim’s husband was also in the room and backed away, watching the attack, investigators said.

At one point, the woman managed to grab the knife the suspect had put on the bed and threw it toward her husband, who did nothing to stop the attack, police said.

After the rape, the suspect told the woman to take a shower and told her not to call 911.