CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Kanawha County jury convicted an East Bank man Tuesday of raping three prostitutes in 2007.

Thomas Henry Gravely Jr., 31, was convicted on four counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of second-degree sexual assault.

The jury acquitted him on one count, which alleged that he forced one woman into having anal sex. That was the only accusation that Gravely denied during a videotaped confession in February 2008, in which he admitted committing between 15 and 20 rapes.

The jury saw the recording of Gravely's confession on Monday. The panel of six men and six women asked to review the DVD immediately after they began deliberations, which lasted just more than two hours.

During the two-day trial, three prostitutes testified that Gravely raped them at knifepoint after picking them up from street corners on Charleston's West Side.

All three said that they were willing to have sex with Gravely for money, but he pulled out a knife, held it to their throats, and forced them to have sexual intercourse. One woman said Gravely picked her up a second time, months later, and assaulted her again this time choking her with his hands.

On Tuesday, the third victim testified, tearfully telling the jury that she didn't report the rape because she thought no one would believe a prostitute. Women who get into cars with strangers put themselves at risk and are breaking the law, but that doesn't justify Gravely's attacks, she said.

"Nobody deserves to be raped," she said. "Nobody deserves to be taken advantage of."

The Gazette does not name victims of sexual assaults.

The woman, who said she was almost finished serving a 60-day jail sentence for solicitation, admitted that she had a crack cocaine habit that cost between $2,000 and $3,000 a day.

Gravely did not testify in his defense.

During his closing argument, defense attorney Ed ReBrook acknowledged that his client may have assaulted the women, but maintained that he did not rape them.

"You cannot rape the willing. All three of those girls got into those vehicles with [johns] with the intent of having sex for money," he said. "He changed the terms of the contract."

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Kanawha County jury convicted an East Bank man Tuesday of raping three prostitutes in 2007.

Thomas Henry Gravely Jr., 31, was convicted on four counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of second-degree sexual assault.

The jury acquitted him on one count, which alleged that he forced one woman into having anal sex. That was the only accusation that Gravely denied during a videotaped confession in February 2008, in which he admitted committing between 15 and 20 rapes.

The jury saw the recording of Gravely's confession on Monday. The panel of six men and six women asked to review the DVD immediately after they began deliberations, which lasted just more than two hours.

During the two-day trial, three prostitutes testified that Gravely raped them at knifepoint after picking them up from street corners on Charleston's West Side.

All three said that they were willing to have sex with Gravely for money, but he pulled out a knife, held it to their throats, and forced them to have sexual intercourse. One woman said Gravely picked her up a second time, months later, and assaulted her again this time choking her with his hands.

On Tuesday, the third victim testified, tearfully telling the jury that she didn't report the rape because she thought no one would believe a prostitute. Women who get into cars with strangers put themselves at risk and are breaking the law, but that doesn't justify Gravely's attacks, she said.

"Nobody deserves to be raped," she said. "Nobody deserves to be taken advantage of."

The Gazette does not name victims of sexual assaults.

The woman, who said she was almost finished serving a 60-day jail sentence for solicitation, admitted that she had a crack cocaine habit that cost between $2,000 and $3,000 a day.

Gravely did not testify in his defense.

During his closing argument, defense attorney Ed ReBrook acknowledged that his client may have assaulted the women, but maintained that he did not rape them.

"You cannot rape the willing. All three of those girls got into those vehicles with [johns] with the intent of having sex for money," he said. "He changed the terms of the contract."

He said the women, whom he called "whores" and "street tramps," were at least partially at fault for what happened to them.

"It's like [being] in the rodeo: If you get thrown off the bull, you might get hurt," ReBrook said.

Kanawha County assistant prosecutors Tera Salango and Fred Giggenbach reminded the jury that Gravely had confessed.

Salango said that the women's version of events were consistent with Gravely's confession. While the jury might find the women's lifestyle choices distasteful, they still were victims of a crime, she said.

"They're not the ones on trial," she said.

Giggenbach said Gravely was a predator who preyed on the prostitutes' defenselessness.

"That's a wolf right there, a serial rapist in our community," he said, pointing at Gravely as he sat at the defense table. "He attacked the weak, the addicted."

Gravely, a married father of five, put his head between his forearms and wept as the clerk read the jury's verdict.

Judge Tod Kaufman revoked Gravely's bond, and remanded him into custody. As the bailiff handcuffed him, Gravely turned to his family and supporters in the gallery, many of whom were sobbing loudly, and said, "Kiss my kids."

"We will. We love you, buddy," one woman replied.

"That detective was a liar," Gravely called out as he was being led out.

He faces up to life in prison when sentenced by Kaufman on Oct. 9.

Reach Andrew Clevenger at acleven...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1723.