A Long Beach man was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for drugging and raping a 21-year-old German tourist last year after they met on couchsurfing.com
Dennis Edison, a 32-year-old bartender, was found guilty of first-degree rape and sexual abuse Aug. 19 following a two-week trial in Nassau County court.
“While many report great experiences with couch surfing sites, it’s important to remember that these completely unregulated websites come with significant risks to those who use them,” Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said.
The victim and a second 21-year-old German tourist arrived at Edison’s apartment on Nov. 24, 2015 and planned to stay several days after meeting him online. But, a day after they arrived, Edison made cocktails for the women, who later felt drugged, prosecutors said. He then gave the victim a second drink, who told investigators that she felt incapacitated and became unconscious after Edison led her to a massage table in his bedroom, authorities said.
The victim later left Edison’s apartment after becoming violently ill and reported the crime in Manhattan. Forensic evidence confirmed that the unconscious woman was raped by Edison, who initially denied having sexual contact with her in a recorded conversation, prosecutors said.
The NYPD referred the case to the Long Beach Police Department, whose detectives arrested Edison on Dec. 22, 2015 after he was indicted by a grand jury.
Judge Robert McDonald also sentenced Edison to 20 years post-release supervision.
