SHORT TAKES : LL Cool J Ex-Bodyguard Guilty
MINNEAPOLIS — A former bodyguard for rap singer LL Cool J was convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl after a concert in the Twin Cities in August.
The Hennepin County District Court jury deliberated about 10 hours before issuing a verdict Wednesday night convicting Christopher Tsipouras, 22, Union, N.J., of first- and third-degree sexual assault. Judge Philip Bush set sentencing for Jan. 5, revoked Tsipouras’ $100,000 bail and placed him in custody. State guidelines recommend a prison sentence of more than seven years.
Tsipouras was charged with sexually assaulting the girl at a Bloomington hotel on Aug. 9. Two other members of the entourage--singer David Parker and crew member Gary Saunders--are awaiting trial on charges of sexually assaulting the girl later that night.
The victim and a 16-year-old girlfriend had won backstage passes from a radio station.
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
