TV News Anchor Maureen O'Boyle's Emotional Reaction Upon Hearing Her Rapist Wouldn't Be Paroled: 'I Had a Good Twelve Hours of Crying'

Maureen O’ Boyle was getting ready to do a live tease for the afternoon news when she got the phone call she’d been nervously anticipating for weeks.

An anchor for WBTV in Charlotte, North Carolina, O’Boyle had worked tirelessly to keep her rapist in prison and was in the makeup room when someone from the parole board called.

"He asked me if I was sitting down and I was thinking the worst when he said that," the 52-year-old tells PEOPLE. "I said just tell me already!"

O’Boyle says she crumpled from relief and started hysterically crying when she finally heard what she'd been waiting to hear: "He said the board has decided Mr. Starling will not be paroled."

James E. Starling, now 53, was sentenced to 50 years in prison in 1986 for the rape of O'Boyle and another woman in Macon, Georgia. As he still has 20 years to serve in prison, O'Boyle was shocked to learn in late February that Starling could soon be up for parole.

The former host of A Current Affair and Extra petitioned the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles to keep Starling locked away, collecting more than 71,000 signatures. O'Boyle said she also met in person with a parole board member, begging to keep Starling behind bars.

"I walked through the crime and I cried a lot," she tells PEOPLE of that meeting.

After getting word that she’d won the fight, the single mom says, "I had a good twelve hours of crying and then I slept very soundly for the next two nights."

Then she got to work, trying to figure out a way to use this experience to help other survivors of rape.

Since starting the petition, O’Boyle estimates she’s received more than 500 personal emails, and more than 10,000 comments on her Facebook page – many of them from fellow rape survivors.

"They’ve said things like, your victory is my victory. Your strong voice and your bravery has been my bravery," she explains. "That has been the most humbling and rewarding part of this. I think what happened in the process of fighting to keep him in prison, it has been more than I ever could have imagined. It’s been transformative."

One particular email has buoyed O’Boyle’s spirits and helped her to understand the impact of sharing her story.

It came from a young pediatrician and mother of two who admitted she'd never told anyone of her own rape, writing, "Your justice feels like my justice and I could not be more proud of you for fighting this fight. After stumbling across your petition, I courageously sought counseling. You have changed the trajectory of my life."

The veteran newswoman knows the power of a good story and plans to harness it. She’s working with several sexual assault organizations in the Charlotte area, trying to figure out the best way to help get other survivors the counseling and education they need.

"It’s a work in progress but so many people who reached out to me told me they never shared their story and I want to help create a place where the community can help make sure those survivors get the tools they need," O'Boyle says.

"These survivor stories, I needed them as much as they needed me."