Jason Hopson Convicted of Rape at Atlanta Zoo

Victim Drugged at Private Party, Assaulted while Unconscious

Atlanta-Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr. (Atlanta Judicial Circuit) announces that Jason Hopson (23) has been convicted of the 18 June 2004 rape of a woman at Zoo Atlanta. The victim and Hopson were attending (separately) a private, after-hours function thrown by a local radio station at the zoo, located at 800 Cherokee Avenue in Grant Park. The defendant and the victim met, and the defendant offered her a drink. Later, a friend of the victim (who attended the event with her) became quite ill and began to vomit. The victim helped her friend to a restroom, and, while waiting for her, the victim was again approached by Hopson. The two talked, and the defendant offered her some water. A few moments later, the victim began to lose control of her body. She recalled being carried by the defendant to a restricted area of the zoo behind a McDonald’s restaurant. From that point on, the victim went in and out of consciousness, but, during one period in which she was alert, she recalls the defendant being on top of her, raping her.

Shortly thereafter, a zoo employee, who was walking through the restricted area, saw the defendant pulling up his pants and leaving the area. The employee then noticed the victim on the ground with her pants at her knees, not moving. Paramedics and the off-duty police officers working at the event were summoned. By this time, the victim had lapsed into unconsciousness and was experiencing violent convulsions. She was rushed to the emergency room to be treated for a possible drug overdose, but when her clothes were removed, the physician noticed that her back was covered in grass and debris. In addition, the doctor noticed bruising on the victim’s body and wounds to her vagina and rectum. The doctor then discovered that the victim’s tampon had been crushed inside of her. At trial, the physician testified that the victim demonstrated all of the classic signs that she had ingested GHB—the so-called “date-rape” drug—although none was found when the victim’s blood and urine were tested. Atlanta police were able to locate the defendant still at Zoo Atlanta.

The defendant faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on 18 January 2005.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Ash Joshi prosecuted the case, and Judge Constance Russell presided.

CONTACT: Erik Friedly, 404-224-0560 (office); 770.583.6069 (pager); erik.friedly@co.fulton.ga.us