An 18-year-old man was found guilty of two counts of gross sexual imposition yesterday for sexually assaulting two girls during the 1998 Ohio University Sibs' Weekend.

The girls, who were 14 and 17 at the time, and their family sat in the middle of the court room, while Travis McIntyre, from Wierton, W.Va., pleaded no contest to the two fourth degree felony counts in the Athens County Court of Common Pleas.

Assistant Prosecutor Colleen Flanagan told the court the Prosecutor's Office had conferred with the investigating officer and the victims and decided to offer the plea agreement because proving actual penetration and forced conduct would be difficult.

In exchange for McIntyre's plea, the Prosecutor's Office dropped the two counts of rape.

The girls and their family asked the judge to deny McIntyre's plea, thereby forcing the case to proceed to trial.

"Please don't let the justice system make my heart bleed more than it already has," the younger girl said to Judge Alan Goldsberry.

The father of the 14-year-old said he was disappointed with the Athens County Prosecutor's Office and thought the OU Police Department did not conduct a thorough investigation.

On Feb. 14, 1998, both girls were visiting the 14-year-old's sister, an OU sophomore living in Martzolff Hall. McIntyre forced the younger girl to submit to sexual contact, and after her cousin knocked on the door and the younger girl left, he forced the 17-year-old to submit to sexual contact.

McIntyre will be sentenced at a later date. Eighteen months is the maximum sentence he can receive for each count.

Both girls and their families filed civil suits asking for at least $75,000 each from McIntyre, his parents and OU on Feb. 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

OU filed a petition to have the case dismissed March 2, stating that the court has no jurisdiction over OU because it is a state entity.