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Press Release

District Man Sentenced To 19 Years In Prison For Sexually Assaulting Stepdaughter-Defendant Bound, Gagged And Assaulted Victim-

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia

     WASHINGTON – A 39-year-old man from Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to 19 years in prison on a charge that stemmed from the physical attack and subsequent sexual abuse of his wife’s 14-year-old daughter, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     The defendant, who is not named here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in April 2014 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of first-degree sexual abuse.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston. In addition to the prison term, the defendant will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

     According to the government’s evidence, the defendant had been married to the victim’s mother for approximately two years and lived with the family in Southeast Washington.  The victim referred to him as “Dad.”  On March 14, 2014, while the victim’s mother and young siblings were out of the house, the defendant called her into a bedroom, where he bound, gagged and sexually assaulted her. When the defendant eventually let her go, the victim immediately texted her mother and begged her to come home.  The child immediately disclosed the assault to her mother upon her arrival, and was taken to Children’s National Medical Center for treatment. 

     Judge Reid Winston referred to the defendant’s actions as “horrendous,” and found that he is a danger not only to his wife’s children, but also to other children in the community.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department.  He also acknowledged the outstanding work of the Children=s Advocacy Center, and the Children’s National Medical Center, which provided critical services to the victim.  He praised the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan.  Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Heide L. Herrmann, who prosecuted the matter.

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Updated February 19, 2015