Idaho man gets life for secretly drugging, raping woman and sharing videos online
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MERIDIAN — A man who shared videos of himself secretly drugging and repeatedly raping a woman while she was unconscious has been sentenced to life in prison.
Thomas Spencer, 51, was sentenced Wednesday by Judge Annie McDevitt to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 40 years after pleading guilty to rape.
The case came to light in January when the FBI alerted local investigators to a Telegram group where members allegedly shared videos of themselves drugging and sexually assaulting unconscious victims, according to a news release from the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
Among the evidence sent to local authorities were eight videos Spencer had uploaded documenting assaults on the victim. Investigators later seized Spencer’s phone and found hundreds of additional videos. Evidence showed he had been sharing the recordings in the online group since 2019.
When investigators contacted the victim, she identified both herself and Spencer in the videos. She told detectives she had no memory of the assaults.
According to prosecutors, the woman recalled waking up after drinking wine with Spencer and experiencing unexplained headaches and pain consistent with sexual assault. She also remembered confronting him after discovering he had taken photos of her without her knowledge.
Prosecutors said Spencer openly boasted about the assaults in the Telegram group. Using the victim’s name, he allegedly wrote, “Can’t count how many times I’ve done that!” In another message, he described drugging her so he could assault her without her knowledge or consent. Authorities said he remained active in the group until his arrest.
During sentencing, McDevitt condemned Spencer’s actions.
“The conduct in this case is horrific,” the judge told him. “I don’t think there’s a word strong enough to describe how egregious your behavior was.”
In a victim impact statement, the woman described years of emotional trauma, sleeplessness and fear after learning what had happened. She said the crimes devastated both her and her children emotionally and financially.
“I ask the court to consider the lasting and irreversible impact his crime has had on my life and my children’s lives,” she said.
Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts praised the victim for coming forward and said the sentence reflects the severity of the crimes.
“This wasn’t a stranger who attacked her in a moment of opportunity — this was someone she trusted completely, who chose to violate her again and again, then shared it with strangers for their entertainment,” Bennetts said. “Today’s sentence reflects just how serious that betrayal of trust was, and sends a clear message that this conduct will not be tolerated.”