Police: School's video captures rape

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - Portsmouth Police have charged a teen with rape after officers say he sexually assaulted a girl in a high school Wednesday morning, and it was all caught on tape.

Jan Westerbeck with the Portsmouth Police Department said a parent of a 15-year-old girl reported her daughter had been sexually assaulted while at Churchland High School located in the 4300 block of Cedar Lane. Detectives with the Portsmouth Police’s Special Victims Unit along with the School Resource Officer at Churchland immediately began an investigation.

Further investigation revealed the 16-year-old suspect approached the victim on the second floor of the school between the stairs, Westerbeck said. There, the teen reportedly removed the victim's clothes and sexually assaulted her.

But family members say this is a 'he said she said' type of situation and all a big misunderstanding. Police say the have video evidence it was a rape, all captured by the school's surveillance system.

"He's not the type of child to cause mischief," said the boy's mother. "He's a normal teenager."

The boy's aunt and mother called WAVY.com after seeing a report about the alleged assault. They didn't want to be identified, but say there are two sides to every story and hings are not exactly what they seem.

"It's serious because my child could do life," the mother added. "It's not like he grabbed somebody off the street and just raped them. This is somebody you are in a relationship with."

They say the teen suspect and the victim have been in an on-off relationship for almost two years.

"They're labeling him as a criminal," his aunt said. "They are labeling him as a violent person. They're labeling this child as if he is an animal and he is far from it."

Westerbeck said the entire ordeal was caught on the school's surveillance system.

"The tape shows they were having sex," said the mother. "They said it looks like he forced himself, but you can't tell. They were playing the whole time so it's his word versus hers."

Thursday, the teen suspect was arrested and transported to Portsmouth Juvenile Intake, where he was charged with rape. He has since been turned over to the Chesapeake Juvenile Detention Center pending a hearing, Westerbeck said.

"At the end of the day I don't wish bad on anyone, but I will be glad when this is over when my nephew is found innocent," his aunt added.

Because of the suspect’s age, his identity will not be released.

Westerbeck added the victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.