In March 1995, Mike Tyson was released from an Indiana prison after serving almost three years of a six-year sentence.
He had been convicted of raping 18-year-old Desiree Washington in a hotel room in July 1991.
Highlights
- Mike Tyson crime scene was expected to be particularly graphic as the former boxing champion faced charges involving sexual acts that were far from typical public discussion.
- His driver, Foster testified that Washington’s hair was messy, and she appeared shaken—frantic, disoriented, and unable to focus.
- He admitted to committing crimes like burglaries, pickpocketing, and stealing jewelry.
Tyson, who was 25 then, insisted he was innocent, but the court found him guilty.
As part of his conviction, he was required by federal law to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Almost two decades later, 58-year-old Mike Tyson is gearing up for his biggest boxing payday.
Thanks to a deal with Netflix, he’ll step back into the ring for an $80 million live-streamed fight against YouTube star Jake Paul.
Desiree Washington Testified Rape Charges Against Mike Tyson And Revealed The Crime Scene
On January 27, 1992, Mike Tyson’s trial began, and it was expected to be particularly graphic as the former boxing champion faced charges involving sexual acts that were far from typical public discussion.
Washington testified that during their conversation, Tyson first asked if she liked him, to which she replied that he seemed “okay.”
In 1991 Mike Tyson was arrested and charged with raping Desiree Washington. pic.twitter.com/sHgUrSdHMf
— Miles Commodore (@miles_commodore) May 15, 2022
But soon after, Tyson’s tone changed, and he said something that made her uncomfortable, claiming she was “turning him on.”
Washington responded by saying she wasn’t like that, then stood up and said she needed to use the bathroom before they could leave.
Tyson agreed, and she got up, leaving her purse behind. After using the bathroom, she noticed some discharge on her panty liner, which she removed and threw away.
She explained that she had a pad in her purse but decided to wait to use it.
When Washington came out of the bathroom, she said she saw Mike Tyson sitting on the edge of the bed.
She testified that he then pulled her onto the bed and prevented her from leaving.
She described his actions as intimidating and overpowering.
Among the witnesses was Virginia Foster, the limousine driver who had driven Tyson around Indianapolis and later took Desiree Washington back to her hotel after the alleged assault.
Foster testified that Washington’s hair was messy, and she appeared shaken—frantic, disoriented, and unable to focus.
Mike Tyson Has Been Under Custody For Many Times
In a 2020 interview on the IMPAULSIVE podcast, Tyson shared that he had been arrested 40 times by the time he was 12 years old.
He admitted to committing crimes like burglaries, pickpocketing, and stealing jewelry.
#UrbanToday: HISTORY TODAY – (In Year 1991): Mike Tyson rapes a Miss Black America contestant
— Urban Television (@UrbanTVUganda) July 19, 2018
Notorious boxer Mike Tyson rapes Desiree Washington, a contestant in the Miss Black America pageant, in an Indianapolis, Indiana, hotel room. Tyson, who had lost his heavyweight title pic.twitter.com/Yc4CPL9AA5
He also mentioned how he would sometimes knock someone out with a single punch and then rob them.
In 2003, Tyson expressed anger toward Desiree Washington, saying he hated her and that she had put him in a state where he didn’t know what he was doing.
He also mentioned that he had done “four or five things worse than what I’m accused of,” implying actions worse than rape.
The #MeToo movement gained significant attention after Harvey Weinstein’s abusive behavior was exposed.
In 2020, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison for sex crimes, and it’s unlikely he’ll ever be released. It seems impossible for him to rebuild his career even if he were.
Similarly, after Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction was overturned and he was released from prison in 2021, he talked about going back on tour, but he hasn’t done so yet.
Kevin Spacey was acquitted of sexual assault charges in 2023, but his career hasn’t recovered in any significant way.
On the other hand, despite his past, Tyson has not only been forgiven but has continued to thrive.
After leaving prison, he fought Peter McNeeley in 1995, an opponent much less challenging than the ones he had faced before. He still earned a record $25 million for that fight.
Additional Information
- Known as “Iron Mike” and “Kid Dynamite” in the early years of his career and later dubbed “the Baddest Man on the Planet,” Tyson is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history.
- He held the title of undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990.
- Tyson has an older brother named Rodney and an older sister named Denise, who passed away from a heart attack.
