
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
For Information Contact:
Public Affairs
(202) 252-6933
http://www.justice.gov/usao/dc/index.html
Convicted Sex Offender Found Guilty of Sexually Assaulting
Three Children, Including His Two Step-Daughters
- Abuse of Step-Daughters Began When They Were 9 Years Old -
WASHINGTON - A 37-year-old man has been found guilty by a jury of multiple charges for sexually assaulting three girls, including two of his step-daughters, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
The defendant, of Washington, D.C., is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victims. He was found guilty on July 24, 2012 of multiple counts first-degree and second-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. The verdicts followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The defendant is a convicted sex offender for his sexual assaults against a 10-year-old girl and another 12-year-old girl in 1998.
Because the charges include aggravating circumstances, the defendant faces a maximum potential sentence of life in prison with no possibility of release. After his prison term, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The Honorable William M. Jackson, who presided at the trial, scheduled sentencing for Oct. 5, 2012.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, the defendant began sexually assaulting his step-daughters when they were nine years old. He continued to abuse the victims for approximately five years each. The abuse occurred at several different homes and after each child had disclosed the abuse to family members. The evidence also revealed that the defendant sexually abused his son’s girlfriend when that child was 13 years old. The step-daughters ultimately made a full disclosure to the police, and the D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center, in 2010 after their grandmothers convinced their mother to notify the police.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the efforts of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division. He also recognized the outstanding work of the D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center, which provided critical services to the victims. He acknowledged the efforts of those who assisted with the investigation and prosecution at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Advocate Melissa Milam, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator LaJune Thames, Lead Criminal Investigator Tommy Miller and Criminal Investigator Mark Crawford, Intelligence Analysts Sharon Johnson and William Hamann, Litigation Technology Specialists Kimberly Smith and Ron Royal, Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section Lead Paralegal Kristy Penny and Paralegal Joyce Arthur, Legal Assistants Charmonique Price and Ashley Patterson, and Legal Interns Amy Omens and Lindsay Roberts. Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon Marcus-Kurn, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr. who prosecuted the case along with Ms. Marcus-Kurn.
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