The notorious Gophers cell phone sex video debuted Thursday in the rape trial of Dominic Jones. The packed Hennepin County courtroom went completely silent for the 30-second running time and the 21 still photos developed from the video.
The video clearly showed the former football star, wearing only a sleeveless white T-shirt, kneeling over the torso of the alleged victim and masturbating. The woman, wearing a red top, lay with her eyes shut and was not talking. Some shots in the video were clear, others were difficult to track.
Jones looked to the camera and smiled in a close-up. He said something indiscernible.
At one point the camera panned to a closet showing a man appearing to peer out. Lawyers have said that was Robert McField, a key witness and one of the former football players who lived in the University Village apartment. Prosecutors say McField told them he saw Jones penetrate the woman, remove his condom and masturbate over her. Nothing approaching penetration appears in the video.
Defense lawyer Earl Gray said Jones never penetrated the woman and none of his DNA was found on any of the nine condoms found in the apartment shared by McField and three other former players.
He admits his client masturbated over the woman, but said the behavior was consensual. Prosecutors say the woman, after a shot-drinking contest with McField, was too drunk to consent.
The video was presented during afternoon testimony from the U.S. Secret Service agent who recovered it from the cell phone of Alex McDaniel, who also lived in the apartment with McField, Keith Massey and E.J. Jones. The defendant, who is not related to E.J. Jones, lived a floor down in the same University Village complex.
Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Marlene Senechal walked the witness, Michael Piper, through the photos, but neither provided any commentary on what jurors were seeing.
