Rutgers Spycam Trial: High school friend testifies Dharun Ravi said Tyler Clementi was "a nice guy"
(CBS/AP) NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - A high school friend of Dharun Ravi, the former Rutgers student accused of using a webcam to spy on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, who later committed suicide, testified Friday that he had never heard Ravi make negative remarks about having a gay roommate.
"He actually told me Tyler was a nice guy," testified Austin Chung, a high school friend of Ravi's and the boyfriend of Molly Wei, the Rutgers freshman who was also implicated in the spying.
Wei struck a deal with prosecutors and agreed to cooperate with their case against Ravi.
Chung also testified that Ravi had a knack for technology.
"Dharun's very smart about computers," Chung said.
In his opening statement, Ravi's defense lawyer said his client was not hateful and did not mean to humiliate the roommate.
Steven Altman told a jury in Friday that the trial would should Dharun Ravi, 19, was not anti-gay and did not bully or intimidate Tyler Clementi. Altman says his client was an 18-year-old boy who behaved normally for someone his age.
But a prosecutor said Friday morning that Ravi was troubled to learn he'd be living with a gay man at college and that the alleged spying was "malicious."
Ravi faces 15 criminal charges, including bias intimidation and invasion of privacy.
Complete Coverage of Tyler Clementi on Crimesider
