Victim recants, but man convicted

Although a rape victim recanted her accusations during her boyfriend's trial, a Chester County jury deliberated about an hour and a half yesterday before convicting the Kennett Square man of multiple sex and assault charges.

Jose Rodriguez-Zavala, 28, was found guilty of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated assault, and related offenses stemming from two separate incidents that required the victim's hospitalization, one on Sept. 20, 2006, and the other on Feb. 19, 2006.

Veteran prosecutor Michelle E. Frei, who called the case "the worst example of domestic violence" she had ever seen, said Rodriguez-Zavala would be sentenced after an evaluation to determine whether he qualified as a sexually violent predator. - Kathleen Brady Shea