Linda man found guilty of torture, rape charges

Tyrone Lawrence Dyson may spend the rest of his life in prison.

Dyson, 39, was found guilty Friday on felony charges of torture, rape, sexual penetration, forcible oral copulation and assault.

"Realistically speaking, he's facing life," Judge Julia Scrogin said after the jury handed down the verdict. "On count one (torture) alone, he's looking at seven to life and that's what he's going to get."

Spiritual adviser criticizes verdict

Jurors believed Dyson sexually assaulted his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend with a knife and sex toy and beat her with a broomstick and a BB-gun. They also believed he kicked and punched the victim numerous times while holding her captive for three days in April at their Hile Avenue apartment.

Deputy District Attorney Shiloh Sorbello was pleased with the verdict.

"I'm happy to see some justice for (the victim)," Sorbello said.

Dyson's attorney, Brian Davis, was "disappointed." An appeal in the case is likely.

"I imagine (Dyson) will want to, but he hasn't discussed it with me, yet," Davis said later.

Prosecutors said Dyson punished the woman for unproven infidelities. He admitted to secretly recording the woman when he wasn't around in an effort to catch her cheating. Dyson believed his secret tapes proved the woman was unfaithful, but prosec tors said the recordings only revealed Dyson's own paranoid vindictiveness.

Dyson testified that he records all of his girlfriends in secret.

The woman testified that Dyson told her he was "the bringer of sorrow." Dyson testified he was only "playing around" and said he was quoting song lyrics at the time.

Dyson also admitted to sleeping with other women during his relationship with the victim and said he didn't believe there was any double standard, but acknowledged that others may see it differently.

Dyson said he was falsely accused and said the woman invented the allegations to retaliate against him for cutting off her methamphetamine supply.

It was the second trial in six months for Dyson.

A previous jury found Dyson guilty of threatening to kill the woman during the same three-day period, but were hung on the torture, rape and assault charges. A few jurors in July said the victim's admitted drug use hurt her credibility.

Sorbello said Friday he believed there were two critical differences in the evidence prosecutors presented this time around. Namely, he said, prosecutors introduced more medical evidence regarding the victim's injuries.

"I think the testimony from the physician's assistant that performed the sexual assault examination helped them make their decision," Sorbello said.

The second factor, Sorbello said, was prosecutors located another of Dyson's ex-girlfriends who testified that Dyson assaulted her in a similar manner in 2008. The woman never reported the abuse to police, but had photographs of large bruises on her body she said were inflicted by Dyson.

"She's now free of Dyson's spell and the effects of the methamphetamine she was using," Sorbello said of the second woman. "She felt emboldened to speak out knowing he was in custody."

Dyson remains in custody without bail. Sentencing is set for Jan. 9.