Opera Star’s Trial for Raping Aspiring Singer Takes Unexpected Turn
The start of star opera singer David Daniels’ rape trial took an unexpected turn on Friday when he and his husband suddenly pleaded guilty to a pair of sexual assault charges in relation to the drugging and raping of an aspiring musician in 2010.
Opening arguments in Daniels and husband Scott Walters’ trial were slated to begin in Houston—the same city where Samuel Schultz alleged the then-unmarried couple raped him while he was unconscious. But, the Houston Chronicle reports that the couple “hurried in and out of the courtroom” just as things were about to get underway and instead reached a plea deal to halt the trial before it ever began.
As part of the deal, Daniels and Walters pleaded down to a charge of sexual assault of an adult, a second-degree felony. That meant they avoided a possible conviction on their original charges of aggravated sexual assault—a first-degree felony that carries harsher penalties, including a possible life-sentence.