A Knoxville man who recorded himself raping an unconscious woman and then shared the video will spend the next 24 years in prison, with no chance of parole.
On Thursday, a Knox County jury’s guilty verdict turned into a decades-long sentence when Judge Emily Abbott ordered Rudolph Valentino Campbell III to serve what prosecutors described as the maximum term allowed, according to WBIR. The sentencing followed a three-day trial and courtroom arguments over how the multiple counts should run.
Campbell will not be eligible for parole, the court ruled.
According to a press release from the Knox County District Attorney's Office, Knoxville police were called on December 17, 2024, after a report that the victim had been sexually assaulted. She told detectives she had been out drinking that day, then later passed out at Campbell’s home. While she was unconscious, prosecutors said, Campbell raped her and recorded the attack on his phone.
The district attorney’s office states that Campbell later sent the video to another person. When officers arrested him, they seized a phone that contained recordings.
Video Evidence at Center of the Case
Prosecutors told jurors that the recording was the backbone of the case, removing the usual battle over credibility and leading to convictions on two counts of rape and one count of disseminating unlawful photographs, as reported by WBIR. Court filings and the district attorney’s office identify Assistant District Attorneys Jeannine Guzolek and Jordan Murray as the prosecutors who tried the case.
During sentencing arguments, prosecutors also highlighted Campbell’s criminal history, noting two prior felony convictions for aggravated assault and attempted unlawful possession of a firearm, according to the Knox County District Attorney's Office.
DA: Accountability and Next Steps
District Attorney Charme Allen praised the victim’s courage in coming forward and said the conviction holds Campbell accountable, per a statement from the Knox County District Attorney's Office. The office also notes that Judge Abbott revoked Campbell’s bond and ordered him taken into custody ahead of the sentencing hearing.
The district attorney’s release lists members of the victim-witness staff who assisted in the prosecution and provides a contact for those seeking more information on the case.
