Area Man Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing His Niece, Beginning When She Was 11 Years Old

            WASHINGTON – A 49-year-old man, formerly of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of multiple charges for sexually abusing his niece when she was 11 and 12 years old, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, recently resided in Northwest Washington with his wife and children. He was found guilty by a jury on April 3, 2019, of four counts of second-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child with aggravating circumstances, and assault. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Craig Iscoe ordered that he be held without bond until sentencing on May 31, 2019.

            According to the government’s evidence at trial, the victim lived in Florida with her mother during the year, but visited her father and his family in the District of Columbia every summer. When she visited the District of Columbia, she spent part of her time with the defendant and his family.

            In the summer of 2016, when the victim was 11 years old, the defendant began sexually abusing her during these visits. The nature of his abuse escalated over time. The defendant pressured the victim not to tell, and she was afraid to disclose the abuse for fear of not being believed and of causing stress within the family.

            Following the defendant’s final act of abuse in June 2017, the victim could not keep the abuse a secret anymore, and she disclosed the abuse to her aunt, the defendant’s wife. The victim later disclosed to her father, as well, and the abuse was then reported to the Metropolitan Police Department. The defendant was arrested in July 2017.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of members of the Youth and Family Services Division of the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenechukwu Okocha, who investigated and indicted the case; Appellate Division Deputy Chief John Mannarino; Victim/Witness Assistance Unit Chief Sarah McClellan; Paralegal Specialists Brenda C. Williams and D’Yvonne Key; Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown.

            Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Loeb, who prosecuted the case at trial.