Before turning himself in Thursday to begin serving a 30-day jail term for spying on his gay roommate with a webcam, Indian-American student Dharun Ravi has apologised for the first time.
In a statement Tuesday, Ravi, former student at Rutgers New Jersey state university, said he decided to "accept and hopefully complete the sentence as soon as possible. It's the only way I can go on with my life."
Ravi also offered a clear apology. "I accept responsibility for and regret my thoughtless, insensitive, immature, stupid and childish choices that I made on September 19, 2010 and September 21, 2010," he said referring to the spying incident.
"My behaviour and actions, which at no time were motivated by hate, bigotry, prejudice or desire to hurt, humiliate or embarrass anyone, were nonetheless the wrong choices and decisions. I apologise to everyone affected by those choices."
Since the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office is appealing the sentence handed down by Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman, Ravi did not have to begin serving the term yet, but his lawyer said Ravi wanted to go through with it sooner rather than later.
"It's his decision," said lawyer Steven Altman. "He wanted to get it over with."
Ravi is to appear Wednesday before Berman at 8:30 a.m. in New Brunswick. He will report to the Middlesex County Jail a day later. With good behaviour, his term could be shaved to as little as 20 days.
In March, a jury found Ravi guilty of bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and tampering counts in the spying case over his roommate, Tyler Clementi, who leaped to his death from the George Washington Bridge days after learning of the incident.
Ravi was not charged in connection with Clementi's death.
