A San Diego County jury convicted a Del Mar man of raping two women he met through online dating sites ChristianMingle.com and Match.com.
Navy Lieutenant Sean Banks, 38, was found guilty of rape, rape of an intoxicated woman, two counts of forcible digital penetration and residential burglary with intent to commit rape. The jury found him not guilty of attempting to dissuade a witness.
He faces 40 years to life in prison when he is sentenced.
Banks' lawyer told NBC 7 Banks he is deeply disappointed in the results of what he called a "he said-she said" case. He plans to meet with his client to see what their options are moving forward, including possible motions for a new trial.
But prosecutors were pleased that this "very dangerous internet predator" will be placed behind bars.
"Sean Banks is an example of why it is very important for women to know who they are going out with," the deputy district attorney said.
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State law does not require allegations of rape to be corroborated, according to the defense lawyer, so no DNA evidence was presented to help convict Banks.
During the more than week-long trial in El Cajon, two women – known only as K.K. and R.O. – told the jury Banks had raped them.
K.K. said she met Banks through ChristianMingle.com and invited him to come to her La Mesa apartment for their first meeting on Nov. 21, 2012.
She then detailed how Banks overpowered and sexually assaulted her. The deputy district attorney told NBC 7 the burglary charge stems from Banks dragging K.K. from her living room to her bedroom and raping her.
R.O. said Banks raped her in 2009 after they met on Match.com.
But in a taped interview with police played for the jury, Banks called K.K. “crazy” and denied forcing the women into doing anything they didn’t want to do.
His defense team argued that Banks stopped his advances and left when the women ordered him out.
Prosecutors say he went by the aliases Rarity, Rylan, Rylan Butterwood and Rylan Harbough on his dating profiles. Banks told police he did that because he is legally changing his name to Rylan.
