A man who was pardoned for rioting on Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol was found guilty Wednesday of touching a woman鈥檚 hair on the Metro while filming it and posting that video on social media.
After the non-jury trial, Judge Anthony Epstein decided the mounting circumstantial evidence pointed overwhelmingly to Bryan Betancur as the man in the video, as well as his criminal intent.
Betancur, of Silver Spring, Maryland, filmed himself stroking a blonde woman鈥檚 hair aboard a Red Line train on Feb. 28.
The woman, who has remained anonymous, testified that she had been returning home after a friend鈥檚 party and was not even aware of the nonconsensual touching until a co-worker showed her the video two days later.
She told the judge that it had been deeply unsettling and disturbing, due to the public nature of being aboard a Metro train and then gaining viral fame. She testified that it has made her more aware of her surroundings to the point of paranoia.
Betancur鈥檚 defense attorney argued there was no definitive proof that it was Betancur in the video because only a hand was shown and numerous people could have had access to this X account, 鈥淏ryanBetan75949,鈥� which posted the video.
But prosecutors supplied mounting evidence that Betancur owned the X account, through pictures of himself and even a video bragging about the presidential pardon he received from being convicted of his part of the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol. The video displayed court documents with his name on it.
The lead detective in the case also provided video evidence of Betancur exiting the same Red Line car that the victim had ridden and exited a few stops before him.
The judge explicitly pointed out the criminal intent behind the touching via the post鈥檚 caption, which read, 鈥淏londes are a good adventure and yeah she gave me permission Lol.鈥� He stated the acknowledgment of a lack of consent showed a conscience of guilt.
Judge Epstein will sentence Betancur on Thursday at 2 p.m. The maximum sentence for simple assault, a misdemeanor, is 180 days of incarceration.
It will not be the end of Betancur鈥檚 legal troubles, however. He faces an assault charge in Arlington for a similar incident on the Metro there. Betancur is also facing stalking charges in D.C.
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