>> nber one in just 60 good evening. we begin tonight inside the courtroom of that prep school rape trial. a case that made national headlines and sparked painful, very private conversations in homes across the country. afafr draratic testimony and tears on both sides the defefeant receivingng his sentence just hours ago. here's abc's geo benitez. >> reporter: the once

student saying a quiet prayer at his sentencing. the 20-year-old's future in the hands of this judge. >> this is a case where lives have been destroyed. yours and the victim's. >> reporter: and their heartbroken parents trying to make sense of it all. labrie, 18 at the time of the crime, was convicted for sexually assaulted a 15-year-old freshman girl at their elite prep school. the victim described the attack in e etional tesesmony in august. we have distorteder voice. >> i was raped. i was violated in so many ways. >> reporter: today, the victim's mother pleading for the judge to hand out the maximum sentence. >> in raping our child, labrie robbed our entire family of so mu of what we valued. it was a safe harbor for our family. >> reporter: while labrie's also devastated mother looking for leniency, painting the picture of a hard-working scholarship student from a humble family,

an opportunity he has since lost. the then 18-year-old was placed on 24-hour suicide watch for four days, shaking and sobbing for seven tooeight hours, his mother writing "he has been punish beyond a degree that anyone else could possibly understand but i see it in the fear and sadness in once-bright and joyful eyes." under the glare of the media spotlight the judge delivered his decision. >> you are neither the angel that is portrayed by your counsel nor theevil thatts portrtyed by the state. and i am senncing you as a human being who has been convicted of five crimes. >> reporter: facing up to 11 years in prison, labrie was given one year and must register as a sex offender, potentially for life. >> there's no question the judge knows the world is watching. and if he had sentenced owen labrie to probation, there would

pay in the media, social media, et cetera. does that mean that's why he did ? no. but are judges huhun? s. it's clear this judge was looking for a compromise. >> this case is setting a precedent that is going to put most parents who are paying attention on alert. it is time to have conversations not only with your daughter, but with your son, abouthat consent looks like, how to make sure you have consent. >> reporter: the victim said she was raped by labrie when they met up as part of what prosecutors characterize as a school tradition that some called the senior salute where a graduating senior spends time with an underclass man, sometimes intimately. she said kissing q qckly gave way to more and she a aed him to op. at trial labrie maintns that what they did together was consensual. >> we kissed more afterwards. but i didn't have sex with her. >> reporter: it became a he said/she said drama that unfolded in court. at its core a sexual encounter

that labrie's attorney argued was full of mixed messages. >> he took your pants off, right? >> yes, i did. >> you helped him do that, didn't you? >> i lifted my hips up to make it easier for him, yes. >> were you excited to have him attention? >> during the kissing, yes, i wawa >> young women are definitely under a lot of pressure to have sex. as a society we're telling them that they should be modern and comfortable with sex and that she should be out there kind of having fun. at the same time she's not necessarily ready for that, she's getting pressure. not only often from the boys but from the girls as well. >> reporter: the victim stressed that she was very clear about saying no, but did not physically fight him. >> i didn't kick or scream or really push. but i did say no. i said no three times.

just a little bit. anyway, she giggled, i giggled. >> reporter: he said in the middle of making out he had a sudden change of heart. >> i thought to myself, maybe we shouldn't do this. it hadn't been my intention going into the night to have sex. >> reporter: friends claim labrie bragged about having sex with the girl after. >> he told me that he had sex with [ muted ]. >> guilty or not guilty? >> guilty. >> reporter: in the end the jury acquitted him of the most serious charge, f fony rara, but found himuilty of misdemeanor sexual assault and a felony charge of using a computer to lure an underage girl. a controversial offense for a generation dependant on digital communication. >> the social media plays such a tremendous role in everyday life and has become the primary source of communication for younger generations. that to hold a young man responsible and destroy his

future over sending a flirtatious message seems to mee a heavy price to pay for something that most teenagers and many adults do every single day. >> reporter: his attorneys say he will remain free on bail while they pursue an appeal. >> any possible possibility owen labrie will never serve any jail time? >> i think there's absolutely a chance. >> reporter: today, following his sentencing, labrie officially registered as a sex offender and will remain on that registry for at least 15 years. >> you were adamant did that sex offender registry. in there, in court, he registered. as of today he iss a sex offender. >> that's correct, that's correct. regardless of the sentence being stayed durg appeal, his registration requirement takes effect immediately. >> it's been a big publicized trial. what's your message to the community? >> my message is that the victim in this case was incredibly

strong. she stood by us. she did what she needed to do. she told the truth. it was not easy for her. >> reporter: for the young victim who delivered a video message in court today, there is no real relief. what he did too me made me feel like i didn't belong on this planet. and that i would be better off deadhan having to deal with the terrible things that every day were thrown in my direction after doing the right thing. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm geo benitez in concord, new hampshire. next, finding out the real reasons we do this when we're scarar. and keep coming back for more.e. plus we're getting a sneak peek at the new "hunger games" movie. star elizabeth banks talking

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halloween -- what leaps to mind? for me, candy. hershey kisses, reese's cup, zero candy bar fella, just saying. if you chose trick or treat you're not alone. americans are obsessed with creeping themselves out. unlike sugar, scaring yourself could be good for you. tonight our self-proclaimed scardy katnik watt isoing in r the thrill. >> reporter: scarehouse, pittsburgh, peania. a haunted house, halloween attraction. right? wrong, very wrong. deep in the basement two scientists from the university of pittsburgh -- >> let's get this over with. >> nice to see you. >> reporter: are analyzing fear. why do we flock to ghostly movies like "poltergeist"? to zombie flicks like "night of the living dead"? why do we go to haunted h hses?

>> p pple go to a haunted house and come out feeling wonderful, they feel terrific. we want to ask why. >> reporter: we will spend $7 billion on halloween this year alone, candy overdose aside it might be doing us good. okay, first some pre-scarehouse markers. >> is this an elaborate joke? >> reporter: how do i react cold to disturbing pictures? the cool parts of this brain scan show that i'm not relaxed. when i hear loud noises, even with the comfort of holding one of the scientist's haha, a ao not happy. i am a person prone to aittle anxiety. but if they're right when i come out of the scarehouse i might be a changed man. >> this is not what i signed up for. >> reporter: i'm wired with a heart monitor and e ectrodes on my fingers to measure sweatiness. i'm going in. >> this way! >> aahhh! no!

react with a scream so strong i accidentalal tear off my finger electrodod >'m not sure iturvived or is goingng to take good readings. >> we're looking at whether or not there are any differences when i was holding his hand during the startle. >> reporter: margy kerr, as well as helping design this place, wrote a book about fear aptly named "scream." >> though it's to our advantage to jump, have a response. because that's going to aid in our survival. >> to scream? to frighten the thing off? >> to alert others. to appear more scary ourselves so when we scream, our face takes on a more contorted expression, which can be scary. >> aahhh! >> reporter: we look scary because we're scared in a haunted house or home on the couch watching "the walking dead." >> we eect something to be a human and then it starts not acting like a human. that is a violation. something different than what we expected. >> and we freak out? >> yeah.

fear is largely a result of basically disruptions of our prediction systems. >> reporter: prediction systems can come into play with clowns. >> they are supposed to look happppand they have these ted-on smimis and very exaggerated expressions. yet their eyes and mouth aren't reading the same. >> reporter: the guy playing the clown at a kids' party isn't smiling with his eyes and that subconsciously freaks us out. >> why are we scared of ghosts? >> ghosts are scary for lots of reasons. there's of course the fear of our own mortality that ghosts bring to mind. >> the dark. >> and the dark, we have no control. anything could attack us without our knowledge. it's harder to locaca our body in space. we lose all sense of where we are. >> reporter: but yet many of us seek fear out. >> the first time i came to scarehouse was because i so desperately wanted to escape the stress of writing my

dissertation dissertation. there's something that's been woven into our dna that wants to go out and see new things, explore new areas. and to challenge ourselves. >> reporter: in the modern world we get fewer chances of thth. >> for many americans, life is pretty ststctured. >> too boring? >> yes. >> reporter: there isn't a lion at the watering hole to scare souse we seek out fear in books, movie houses, scarehouses. this might be good for us. >> when we're scared our thinking brain is taking a break. all the worry and the concern, it gets pushed to the side because our body wants to prioritize things that are going to help us survive. >> reporter: i'm out. time for the post-match analysis. i am subjected to the s se unds that previously made me jump. >> the startle, whether or not you were holding margy's hand, was very high gamma. >> i didn't flinch at all with the noises?

>> yep. >> less emotional response to the bad pictures. >> reporter: here's my brain when i saw those distressing pictures before. and after. those warmer areas proving i'm much, much less agitated. >> you could be having an endorphin response. it's sort of like the runner's high has now taken over, your brain is flooded with stress hormone and so things that would be stressful just don't register as much. >> reporter: medical science might one day use something like this to treat depression. >> thinking about the negative thing, i couldn't hold the negative thought. >> when you go through a scary experience, it seems to recalibrate you. >> reporter: the scarehouse was so bad that everything else pales into insignificantance. we just don't sweat the other stuff. i'm nick w wt for "nightline" i i

next, it's almost here. "hunger games" star elizabeth banks sharing her advice for achieving the impossible whether you're suiting up for battle or just trying to attack your day. >> attitude! i'm billy, and i quit smoking with chantix. i don't know that i can put into words how happy i was when i quit. it's like losing some baggage, i don't have to carry y around with me anynyre. chantix made it possible for me to quit smoking. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix definitely helped reduce my urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. some had seizures while taking chantix. if you have any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse or of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you have these, stop chantix and call your doctororight away as some e n be life-threateninin tell your doctor if you have art or blood vessel l oblems,

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finally tonight, get ready for "hunger games" mania to take over again. the final movie almost here. scene stealer elizabeth banks is with our colleague and yahoo! global news anchor katie couric talking fashionably ferocious

heroines onscreen and off.f. >> welcoco to the 76th hunger games. >> reporter: in just three weeks get ready for the premiere of the fourth and final installment of "the hunger games." >> i can't say how i would usually say it but i would say [ bleep ] goes down. >> reporter: who better to put the finishing touches on the hugely successful franchise than the fierce fashionista aka elizabeth banks. >> eyes bright. chins up. smiles on. >> any surprises in this last film? and does it stay true to the book? >> it staysore true to the book than even i expected. it's the cull minute naig of the battle between katniss and president snow. >> i know for the role you wrote a letter to the director gary ross. you have no hesitation of going for what you want, do you? which is great. >> i got great advice a long time ago, you do not get what you don't ask for. if i love something i'll do whatever it takes. >> reporter: sitting at home is

when the opportunity to direct "pitch perfect 2" camam around shshwent for it. >> hey sxlm. >> hey, banks. >> why are there so few women directors? >> i find that human beings are not fond of change. parity in hollywood is going to require that those in power share a little of that power and that requires a real partnership with the men in our industry. >> reporter: until then banks has found no shortage of jobs. this year she starred in the hilarious realtor.com commercials. >> this one's going to be a billionaire, aren't you? >> reporter: shared screen time withthhanning tatum in "magic mike xxl." >> give your mama some sugar! >> reporter: and her role in "love and mercy" is getting her early oscar buzz. >> you look really great. >> reporter: the film is inspired by the harrowing life of brian wilson, the brilliant lead singer of the beach boys, who was plagued by severe

in it, banks plays wilson's wife and savior melindada ledbdbter. >> why did you read t t script and say, i've g g to play this woman this. >> i was seduced. i loved this character, i loved this woman. she's not defined by her relationship to brian but by her own conviction and love. she has her absolute own experience. >> that's absolutely beautiful. >> great. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm katie couric. >> for more of katie couric's interview with luz beth banks you can head over to yahoo!.com. as another renaissanceceoman the late british writer and aviator beryl markham once said, "success breeds confidence." thank you for watching abc news. tune into "good morning america" tomorrow. as always we're online 24/7 on our "nightline" facebook page