Man Accused Of Raping Two York U Students Pleads Guilty
Posted January 18, 2010 1:36 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The trial for a man accused of raping two York University students didn’t last long.
On Monday, the day a jury trial was scheduled to begin, Daniel Katsnelson pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm.
Katsnelson, 27, a graduate of the school’s business program, admitted that he and a friend broke in to the Vanier dorms under the pretense of helping a drunken friend.
Then, Katsnelson and Justin Connort traveled from floor to floor, hoping to “get lucky” during Frosh Week, he admitted in an agreed statement of facts.
On September 26, 2007, several first-year students woke up to the sound of men in their rooms. The pair broke in to five bedrooms in total.
“Do you want to get lucky with a couple of Jewish guys?” they asked the first victim.
Katsnelson then raped the 17-year-old girl. Afterwards, Connort assaulted her while Katsnelson took pictures.
The girl fought back and the pair left.
Both men left behind DNA at the scene. A second woman was also sexually assaulted.
Katsnelson will be sentenced on March 26. The maximum penalty is 14 years in jail.
Connort, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of sex assault in November 2008. He was sentenced to three years in jail.
“This is a difficult situation for everyone,” defence lawyer Mary Cremer said outside the court.
“It’s not finished yet.”
Cremer added that the decision to plead guilty was Katsnelson’s choice.
“Everybody has a right to a trial…ultimately, it is the client’s decision what path they want to embark upon.”
