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The Teen Who Livestreamed Her Friend's Rape Got Nine Months in Prison

Marina Lonina had initially been charged with rape after filming her 17-year-old friend being assaulted, but ended up pleading guilty to just one count of obstructing justice.

On Monday, an Ohio teen who broadcast her 17-year-old friend's rape on the livestream app Periscope was sentenced to nine months in prison, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

Marina Lonina, 19, was initially arrested last year on charges of rape, sexual battery, kidnapping, and pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor after 29-year-old Raymond Gates sexually assaulted the other teenager. The bizarre case begged the question of whether or not Lonina was responsible for the same sex crimes as the older, male assailant, despite apparently playing no direct role in the assault herself.

In a deal with prosecutors, Lonina ended up pleading guilty to one count of obstructing justice, admitting she didn't report the rape or submit evidence from the incident. Gates, however, was sentenced to nine years behind bars after pleading guilty to one count of rape back in October.

When the victim read a statement in court, she insisted Lonina had not only manipulated her, but that she had coerced Gates into committing the attack in the first place—a charge Lonina's lawyer called "nonsense."

"I was too gullible to see how manipulative she truly is," the victim, now 18, said.