Manosphere celebrates "Old Nick" acquittal
"I was the one trapped in there, not her."
Thus testified Jeffrey M. Clegg, to a jury which acquitted him of charges of kidnapping, illegal detention, and rape. He was released to a crowd of cheering "Men's Rights Activists" who, critics allege, infiltrated the jury pool by concealing their misogynist political views.
Initial 2010 news reports centered on accusations by Joy Newsome, then 26, to the effect that Clegg had kidnapped her as a 17-year-old high school student, and imprisoned her for seven years in a reinforced backyard shed. There, she alleged, Clegg repeatedly raped her, resulting in the birth of a son whose name is being withheld.
But last week, jurors heard a different story—in which Newsome initially begged Clegg to hide her from her abusive father, then refused either to leave the shed, or expose their son to the outside world.
"Her story always struck me as suspicious," said one official, who requested anonymity. "I mean, who couldn't she have broken the skylight? Or figured out the combination of the door lock?" (Clegg testified that she had always known the combination.)
Newsome took the stand briefly last week, but broke down when confronted with her earlier admission to TV interviewers that she had had achieved orgasms with Clegg. Jurors were instructed to disregard her testimony after her sudden suicide attempt on Thursday. Her father, Robert Newsome, has refused comment and is said to be in hiding, further clouding the prosecution's case.
Clegg—whom supporters describe a kind-hearted, hard-working, churchgoing man—explained that his fear of Newsome was so great that he could not bring himself to stop running, even after he finally escaped with their son.
"She lied to me," the boy, now 5, told the court in dramatic testimony. "But Old (Clegg) took care of us. He brought me birthday presents. I want to be just like him when I grow up." His custody case is expected soon.