BRYAN, Texas – The 85th District Court jury sentenced a former Texas A&M student Tuesday to seven years in prison for Sexual Assault.
The same jury convicted 26-year-old Jacob Chase Pape of the offense on Friday night.
On July 8, 2017, Jane Doe #1 agreed to a date with Pape in College Station. The defendant, a member of the Brothers Under Christ (BYX) Christian Fraternity, was on weekend leave from working a Christian camp. During the date, they returned to Doe #1′s apartment – where Pape sexually assaulted her.
After assaulting her, Pape told Doe #1 they needed to pray about their sin of premarital sex – and told Doe #1 she was obliged to forgive him.
On September 1, 2017, Doe #2 agreed to a date with Pape. During the date, Pape gave her one glass of wine. After drinking the wine, the victim became unable to walk. Pape took the victim to his home, where he sexually assaulted her.
After sexually assaulting her, Pape called Doe #2′s roommates to come pick her up. When Doe #2′s roommates arrived, the survivor was in and out of consciousness. After getting her in the vehicle, Doe #2 told her roommates she was sexually assaulted. Doe #2′s roommates took her to Scott and White, where she received a sexual assault exam. Doe #2 initially did not report her sexual assault to the police because she wanted to believe it was a mistake, and her kit was not processed by the crime lab. When she later reported, DNA taken from her kit matched that of Pape’s.
Pape’s roommates, and fellow members of Brothers Under Christ, became suspicious of his behavior and confronted him after hearing of Jane Doe #2′s allegations. Pape admitted to continuing to have sex with Jane Doe #2 while she was unconscious.
In the spring of 2018, Breakaway Ministries did a sermon on sexual assault. At the end of the sermon, the minister encouraged victims of sexual violence to reach out and tell someone. After seeing the sermon, Jane Doe #1 reached out to a roommate of the defendant’s to report her sexual assault.
During the punishment phase, the jury heard that on August 14, 2017, Jane Doe #3 agreed to come over to Pape’s home to hang out. Doe #3 had been talking with Pape through text messages for months, and agreed to a movie date at his house. After drinking one glass of wine provided by the defendant, Doe #3 began feeling intoxicated. Pape guided Doe #3 to his bedroom, where he sexually assaulted her. Pape then convinced Doe #3 the sexual assault was due to her behavior, and it “caused him to stumble.”
These women later reported their assaults to Texas A&M. Pape was expelled by Texas A&M University as a result of these assaults.
The Brazos County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank Texas A&M University, Breakaway Ministries, the former roommates of the Defendant, the survivors who testified about this defendant, and the survivors who helped bring Pape to justice.
Source: Brazos County District Attorney’s Office
