Jennifer Bennett, the victim of recently convicted rapist Thomas Bray, who in September was sentenced to 25 years in prison, appeared Wednesday on national television to discuss the case. Bennett first broke her anonymity Oct. 1 in a story in The Oregonian. Bennett, along with her civil attorney Jennifer Coughlin, appeared live on the NBC-TV “Today" program, discussing her refusal to turn over her computer and search-engine records at Bray’s attorneys’ requests.
“I drew my line in the sand," she said in a pre-taped segment on the morning show. “I said, this is where I’m going to stick up for myself. I was not the criminal, so investigating me and my life, it just didn’t seem right, it didn’t seem just."
Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty and Bray’s attorney, Steven Houze, also appeared on the segment. Bennett and Coughlin also appeared live, speaking with “Today" host Savannah Guthrie about the trial.
In February 2011 Bray and Bennett met through Match.com, and after having a drink at a downtown restaurant the pair returned to his apartment in Franklin Crossing, where he repeatedly raped her, according to testimony. Bray is currently housed in Coffee Creek Intake Center.
