Ravi Speaks Out On Clementi Verdict, Says He Wasn't Hateful

In an exclusive interview with The Newark Star-Ledger, Dharun Ravi publicly addressed his recent conviction and the tension that existed during the last days his Rutgers roommate Tyler Clementi was alive.

Ravi, 20, of Plainsboro, related to a , who a jury found was targeted by Ravi because he was .    

from the George Washington Bridge shortly after discovering Ravi had spied on him and invited others to watch. The death of Clementi, of Ridgewood, became a rallying cry in the gay community to address and the danger of technology.

In the interview with columnist Mark Di Ionno, Ravi claimed – as his defense team did at trial – that he had no hate for Tyler Clementi. He rejected a plea deal that would have saved him prison time. He tells Di Ionno:

"If I took the plea, I would have had to testify that I did what I did to intimidate Tyler and that would be a lie," he told Di Ionno. "I won’t ever get up there and tell the world I hated Tyler because he was gay, or tell the world I was trying to hurt or intimidate him because it’s not true."

Steve Altman, Ravi's attorney, said last week they'll be . Ravi could face deportation to India and/or up to 10 years in prison. He was not charged with causing Clementi's death.