ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 16, 1997 TAG: 9701160043
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM
A Botetourt County judge found a migrant apple picker not guilty last month of raping a Roanoke teen-ager.
The girl, 17, had claimed that Gaston Lawrence raped her in a building in a migrant camp in early October, Botetourt County Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ronnie Clay said.
Clay said Lawrence admitted at his Dec. 12 trial that he had sex with the girl, but said it was for money. Lawrence said he didn't pay the girl the price they had agreed on, so she accused him of rape to get him back, according to Clay.
Because the girl bathed before going to the hospital, no physical evidence of the rape was available to prosecutors, Clay said.
LENGTH: Short : 24 linesby CNB