NEW BRUNSWICK — Dharun Ravi was "so creeped out" after he saw his roommate kissing a man via webcam, and told a friend that his computer would "keep the gays away," a friend testified this morning in Ravi's trial.
Michelle Huang, a high school friend and Cornell student, read text messages between herself and Ravi from Sept. 21, 2010, two days after Ravi turned on his webcam and saw his roommate kissing a man.
Ravi, faced with invasion of privacy, bias intimidation and hindering apprehension, also set up the webcam on a second occasion two days later and invited his twitter followers to watch, prosecutors say.
On Sept. 21, Ravi, a computer whiz, told Huang in a text message that his computer could alert him when someone else was in his room.
"I got so creeped out after Sunday," Ravi texted. "Yeah keep the gays away."
A few hours later, they texted again, with Ravi telling her to video chat him. Ravi set up a feature on his webcam that would allow an incoming call to be automatically accepted.
Ravi's roommate, Tyler Clementi, found out about the planned webcam viewing and disconnected Ravi's computer.
"I just tested it and it works lol," Ravi wrote to Huang.
"Do it for real I have it pointed at his bed. And the monitor is off so he can't see you."
But he added, "Be careful it could get nasty."
Huang said she did not try and click onto the webcam.
Other texts from Ravi read, "Mad people are going to do it," and "People are having a viewing party."
Prosecutors are trying to prove that Ravi purposely targeted his roommate to humiliate him because he was gay.
On cross-examination, Huang read more text messages that showed the conversation as more of a back-and-forth.
Huang called what Ravi had seen on his webcam "so nasty."
"Watch out, he might come for you when you're sleeping," she wrote.
Ravi replied that "everyone keeps telling me that."
Ravi's lawyer, Steve Altman, also brought out text messages from a few days later, when Ravi told Huang that his roommate had committed suicide.
"I guess he was quiet because he was depressed," Ravi wrote.
Ravi's roommate, Tyler Clementi, made national headlines about anti-gay bullying when he committed suicide the next day, Sept. 22.
The text messages concerning the suicide were new territory for the case, because the suicide had previously been off-limits. Ravi is not charged in connection with Clementi's death.
First Assistant Prosecutor Julia McClure said the inclusion of those text messages might open the door to the state calling back some witnesses.
"The state has stayed away from those aspects of the conversations," she said. "Now the defense has brought this issue out."
Altman raised no objection.
"I dont care what she does, judge," Altman said. "I have no idea what she's talking about."
Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman said they would deal with the issue when McClure knows who she would want to call back.
Ravi's lawyer says Ravi is not prejudiced though he acted immaturely. If convicted on the top bias charges, Ravi faces up to 10 years in prison.
Several students have testified under cross-examination that Ravi never said anything malicious or prejudiced about his roommate. Huang said Ravi never mentioned his roommate before Sept. 21.
On cross-examination, Huang said she never heard Ravi say anything negative about a gay person.
Today is the third week of the trial.
Related coverage:
• Ravi webcam spying trial: M.B. wondered if he, Clementi were part of inside joke
• Rutgers webcam trial: M.B. testifies he and Tyler Clementi took part in sexual activity