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Jan. 6 rioter found guilty of assault for touching woman's hair on train
🇨🇦 Canada /Crime & Justice

Jan. 6 rioter found guilty of assault for touching woman's hair on train

From Global News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A Jan. 6 rioter, Bryan Betancur, was found guilty of simple assault for touching a woman's hair on a D.C. Metro train and posting the video online.
  • The judge called the act "creepy," and the victim testified it has impacted her sense of safety on public transport.
  • Betancur, previously pardoned by Trump for Jan. 6 involvement, faces additional charges including stalking and assault in separate incidents.

Bryan Betancur, who participated in the January 6th U.S. Capitol riot and was later pardoned by then-President Donald Trump, has been convicted of simple assault. The charge stems from an incident on a Washington D.C. Metro train in February, where Betancur sat behind a woman, touched her hair, and recorded the interaction for social media.

While on the train, the defendant recorded himself stroking the victim’s hair.

— United States Attorney’s OfficeDescribing the actions of Bryan Betancur during the February incident on the Metro.

A Washington D.C. Superior Court found Betancur guilty of one count of simple assault. According to a U.S. Attorney's Office news release, Betancur recorded himself stroking the victim's hair and immediately posted the video to his X account. During the court proceedings, the judge described the behavior as "just a creepy thing to do." The victim testified that the incident haunts her daily and has altered her perception of safety while using public transportation.

Seconds later, he posted the video to his X account.

— United States Attorney’s OfficeDetailing Betancur's immediate action after touching the victim's hair.

Betancur was initially arrested on March 12 and released with conditions, including a stay-away order from the Metro. He was later re-arrested on unrelated charges and held pending trial. U.S. Attorney Pirro stated that the verdict underscores a commitment to passenger safety and dignity on public transit, emphasizing that "no crime is too small when it involves a person's sense of security."

just a creepy thing to do.

— JudgeDescribing Betancur's actions during court proceedings.

This conviction adds to Betancur's legal troubles. He is also facing a stalking charge in D.C. for allegedly entering an event, making an antisemitic gesture toward a female victim, and then following her outside the venue while yelling slurs. Furthermore, Betancur faces additional assault and battery charges in Arlington, Virginia, related to another incident where he is accused of livestreaming himself touching a woman's hair on a train. The FBI previously identified Betancur as a "self-professed white supremacist" who has expressed violent ideations to law enforcement.

Today’s verdict underscores our commitment to protecting the safety and dignity of every passenger who relies on our public transit system.

— U.S. Attorney PirroCommenting on the outcome of Betancur's bench trial.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Global News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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