Woman gets probation for lying about rape

(07-26) 14:48 PDT Santa Cruz -- A 21-year-old woman pleaded no contest to filing a false police report while visiting UC Santa Cruz and was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation, Santa Cruz County prosecutors said.

The woman, Morgan Triplett, a student at UC Santa Barbara, pleaded no contest to charges of giving false information to a police officer when she called 911 in February to report that she had been sexually assaulted and badly beaten by a stranger as she walked along at path at UC Santa Cruz looking for banana slugs.

Police determined after an investigation that Triplett had made the story up, prosecutors said. No explanation was given for why.

Triplett, originally from Reno, is studying sociology at UC Santa Barbara.

Triplett was sentenced to 60 days in a work-release program, 200 hours of community service, 60 days of therapy and three years of probation.

Triplett must also write a letter of apology to the school, prosecutors said.