John Tilley’s lawyers deny rape claim, call it a ‘stupid, reckless, one-night stand’
“In Kentucky, we believe in justice. Regardless of where you live, or work or play in the state, you should expect to be safe from crimes of sexual assault.”
Those were the words written by John Tilley in a 2019 Kentucky State Police news release that promoted rapid DNA testing for rape kits.
They are also the same that echoed in a Fayette County courtroom on Monday afternoon in the opening statements of a rape trial against Tilley, the former secretary of Kentucky’s Department of Justice and Public Safety.
The 55-year-old was charged with first-degree rape in April 2022, after a woman — identified in court documents as “B.D.” — told police she blacked out after a man she didn’t know gave her an alcoholic drink while she and a friend were visiting bars in downtown Lexington.
The Herald-Leader does not normally identify alleged victims of sexual assault.
“He made some choices that put him in this situation, which contradicted his feelings in 2019,” said prosecutor Kathryn Schafer.
Tilley pleaded not guilty to the charge in August 2022, and he was indicted two months later. The trial is expected to last about four days.
Prosecutors said Tilley had sex with the woman while she was too intoxicated to consent. Police also said hotel staff identified Tilley as one of three men who can be seen on video surveillance footage leaving the Pavilion area with the woman.
Tilley and his attorneys claim that the encounter was a consensual one-night stand, and Tilley made a bad decision. They argue the woman was a “willing participant” in the interaction.
Tilley is also facing a civil lawsuit filed by his accuser, who claims he committed common law sexual assault, assault, battery and negligence. The Marriott Hotel where the alleged assault took place is also included in that suit, as are a few other people.
Who is John Tilley?
Tilley, an attorney, represented Hopkinsville as a Democratic member of the Kentucky House from 2007 to 2015. He also served as chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
He was appointed by former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin to serve as secretary for the state’s Justice and Public Safety, a role in which he served for the entirety of Bevin’s administration.
In his capacity as secretary, Tilley sounded the alarm on inmate overcrowding in prisons and jails.
“The answer is not to build more prison space. The answer is to lower our prison population,” Tilley said.
The arrest citation lists him as a resident of Oldham County, just outside of Louisville.
What happened the night of the alleged assault
Schafer, the prosecutor, said Tilley encountered the 21-year-old woman while out in Lexington on April 15, 2022. He was accompanied by two other men, Joseph Weidner and Chris Harris, both of whom are expected to testify.
The victim was out with her friends but became separated from them losing her phone and wallet, according to court testimony. Schafer alleged Tilley and the victim met after both had been out that night drinking.
Schafer said Tilley then booked a hotel room at the Marriott and had sex with her while she was unable to give consent.
“He didn’t ask her name, or try to get her a ride home, or try to get her a room so she could sleep it off,” Schafer said. “He purchased the room to have intercourse with (her).”
Chris Spedding, Tilley’s lawyer, conceded that Tilley had cheated on his wife and was drunk, but that the sex was consensual.
“He did things you aren’t going to like,” Spedding told the jury. “They aren’t illegal things. One bad decision made by Tilley turned his life into turmoil.”
Spedding defined it as a “stupid, reckless, one-night stand.”
Tilley was in downtown Lexington celebrating a “favorable win” in the legislature with Harris and Weidner, Spedding said, and when he encountered the woman she was “very aggressive, flirty, and clingy.”
“She was in his ear from the moment they met on the street,” Spedding said. “It was too much for him, and he made a bad decision.”
Spedding said one of Harris’ friends tried to stop Tilley from having sex with the woman. But Spedding said it was not because she was going to be harmed, but because he would “breach the loyalty to his family.”
This story was originally published July 22, 2024 at 2:27 PM.
