A man was convicted of raping a woman he was dating while they were vacationing in Southern California.

Christopher Baum, 59, of Fairlawn, Ohio, was convicted by a jury of one felony count of forcible rape, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced on April 15.

On Oct. 14, 2018, Baum and the victim were staying together at a hotel in Oxnard while traveling in SoCal.

After an argument earlier in that day, the woman went to sleep and was awoken in the middle of the night to find Baum on top of her, prosecutors said. He pinned her arms down and raped her despite her pleas to stop.

“I’m pushing him off with my knee and [telling him to stop],” she said in a quote reported by the Akron Beacon Journal. “His eyes were wide open. He was looking at me with rage or hate.”

After the assault, Baum eventually fell asleep and the woman, who was experiencing significant pain, went to the restroom where she took pictures of her injuries.

She flew back home and reported the incident to friends and the Oxnard Police Department.

When she sought medical treatment, she said she discovered she had herpes and that Baum had lied to her about the results of a test for sexually transmitted diseases, the outlet reported.

She sought medical treatment for bruising and injuries sustained during the incident and was also given an STD test. Days later, she found out she had tested positive for herpes.

In court records, the woman said Baum had sent her a text message denying he had an STD. But further testing showed she had been recently infected and she said she hadn’t been intimate with anyone else but Baum in more than 12 years.

On Nov. 3, 2022, Baum pleaded guilty to forgery for altering his STD test to conceal the fact that he had herpes, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

Following a trial, on April 15, 2026, Baum was convicted by a jury of one felony count of forcible rape. An aggravating factor that the crime involved great violence was also found to be true.

“This verdict affirms that survivors of sexual violence have the right to be heard, believed, and protected, and that those who commit these crimes will be held accountable,” said Julia McAndrew, a Ventura County District Attorney who prosecuted the case. “It is my hope that this outcome brings the victim of this case a meaningful measure of justice.”

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 29 at Ventura County Superior Court, where Baum faces up to eight years in state prison.

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