Arian Eteghaei was sentenced to 30 years to life in California state prison after a jury found him guilty of forcible rape and forcible sexual penetration. Jurors also found true that the offenses involved more than one victim, and he was convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence.
The sentence followed the Jan. 16 verdict and closed the sentencing phase of a case prosecutors said centered on crimes committed while he was a student at UC Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch said the prosecution took years of persistence, careful investigation and support for the victims.
John T. Savrnoch on the case
John T. Savrnoch said, “This case would not have been possible without the extraordinary courage of the victims who came forward and participated in a long and difficult legal process.” He added, “Their strength and willingness to testify allowed the truth to be heard and ultimately allowed the defendant to be held accountable for the serious harm he caused.”
He also said, “This case required years of persistence, careful investigation, and tremendous support for the victims.” In a separate statement, he said, “The collective work of this team exemplifies the commitment of law enforcement, prosecutors, investigators, and victim advocates to seeking justice for survivors of sexual violence.”
Jan. 16 at court
The same day the jury returned its verdict, authorities said Eteghaei escaped by force while in custody. That escape created a second case separate from the sexual offense convictions, and prosecutors charged him in March with one count of escape by force.
Jurors’ finding that the crimes involved more than one victim placed the case in a narrower and more serious category under the verdict form, and the sentence of 30 years to life reflects the court’s final punishment on the sexual offense counts. The misdemeanor domestic violence conviction remained part of the case as well.
UC Santa Barbara scrutiny
The prosecution landed amid renewed scrutiny over sexual violence at UC Santa Barbara. Campus crime data reviewed for 2022 to 2024 showed more than 100 reported rapes, and campus police issued a campus-wide Timely Warning in June after a woman reported an incident.
Two separate sexual assault reports in the spring and summer prompted campus-wide warnings and heightened concerns about student safety. For readers following the case, the remaining open issue is the escape charge filed in March, which adds a separate felony track to the prison sentence already imposed on Eteghaei.
