Opinion ID: 6337291
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Encounter and Social Media Postings

Text: Patterson and D.L. became friends while attending Hodgson Vocational Technical School together.2 Patterson was also a friend of D.L.’s older brother.3 In the summer and fall of 2017, D.L. had a relationship with a classmate; however, their relationship was tumultuous and contributed to D.L.’s severe depression and admission into Rockford Center for approximately one month in October 2017.4 After the inpatient stay, D.L. participated in outpatient treatment and was placed on antidepressant medication.5 D.L. ended her relationship with her classmate and began communicating with Patterson on Snapchat.6 2 App. to Opening Br. 40 (hereinafter, “A__”). 3 A41. 4 A45-46; see A45 at 32:11-16. 5 A45, 55. 6 A48-49. 3 Patterson and D.L. then saw each other at Patterson’s house alone approximately ten times.7 During these times they went on walks, smoked marijuana, and had sex.8 In late November or early December 2017, Patterson and D.L. met up at D.L.’s house. Despite being on medication for depression, D.L. and Patterson smoked marijuana9 and drank vodka.10 Patterson and D.L. then had sex.11 D.L.’s memory of the sexual encounter was impaired because of the drugs and alcohol.12 She recalled sexual positions and details of the bedroom.13 She remembered seeing a flash and that the television was on during the encounter.14 D.L. was not aware that Patterson was recording the encounter; the two had never recorded each other or taken photographs during past encounters.15 After that night, D.L. had little contact with Patterson and eventually deleted him from her contacts.16 Afterwards, D.L. resumed her relationship with her classmate, but they broke up again after D.L. informed him of her encounters with Patterson.17 On April 2, 2018, Patterson posted a video of himself having sex with an African American female on Snapchat with the caption “Happy Monday.”18 A mutual friend of 7 A50. 8 A50-51. 9 A54-59. 10 A56-57, 57 at 44:21-22. 11 A58. 12 A58-59. 13 Id; A82. 14 A83. 15 A89. 16 A61. 17 A65-66. 18 A80-81, 196-197. 4 Patterson and D.L. noticed the video and shared it on his own Snapchat feed.19 He recognized Patterson but not D.L., as her face was not visible in the video.20 Patterson noticed that the friend shared the video; when Patterson inquired why, the friend responded that “[he] just had to grab it.”21 Patterson approved and asked the friend to repost it.22 By the time the friend reposted it, other students had already seen the video and were talking about it.23 D.L. was not in school that day.24 While lying in bed, she saw Patterson’s video on the friend’s Snapchat feed; once she watched the video, she recognized herself.25 She recognized distinctive characteristics of her own body, including unique stretch marks, “popped” veins, and the particular shape of her stomach.26 She also recognized the sound of her own voice “whimpering”27 and had no doubt it was her.28 D.L. contacted the friend, informed him that she was the person in the video, and asked him to remove the video, which he did.29 The friend then asked Patterson if D.L. was the female in the video. Patterson denied that it was D.L. and claimed it was an older unnamed woman.30 19 A199-200. 20 A198. 21 A200-01. 22 A202-03. 23 A204. 24 A62-63. 25 A87-89, 138. 26 A88 at 75:1-3, 87-89, 125, 145-46, 153-54. 27 A114, 117 at 104:16-18. 28 A117. 29 A76-77. 30 A210, 213. 5 D.L. was shocked and humiliated by the video. She eventually showed the video to her guardian.31 The guardian testified that after the incident, D.L. cried more, was angrier, and instigated more fights with siblings.32 The guardian convinced D.L. to report the incident, after which police executed a search warrant of Patterson’s home for cell phones, pictures, and bed sheets.33