Blogger ordered to pay high-ranking soldier $8.4 million for falsely accusing him of rape

Susan Shannon and David Riggins

A man who spent many years in the United States military, was forced to spend his retirement defending his reputation. A jury in Virginia, has now awarded the retired Army colonel $8.4 million in a smear case against a blogger who falsely accused him of raping her. Blogger Susan Shannon, 52, claimed that she was raped by Army Colonel David "Wil" Riggins more than 30 years ago, while they were both cadets at West Point, New York.
Shannon wrote in her blog that she finally had the courage to speak out about the rape that occurred in 1986, after she read about several high-profile convictions for sexual assaults in the military. Shannon said that she dropped out shortly afterwards. Her claims came shortly after Riggins was promoted and set to be appointed as a general in 2013. Shannon claimed that she did not know about the promotion until army officials called her to investigate her claim. Riggins denied the claim, and said the false allegations ruined his sparkling military career and his name was dragged through the mud.
The Fairfax County Jury agreed with Riggins, and ordered Shannon, a jewelry designer, to pay him $3.4 million in compensatory damages such as lost wages and $5 million in punitive damages.