District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing 12-Year-Old Child

            WASHINGTON – A 31-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to sexually abusing his 12-year-old biological daughter, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of second-degree child sexual abuse. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon five-year prison term. Following his prison term, the man will be required to register for 10 years as a sex offender and also complete a term of supervised release. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for Feb. 8, 2019.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 15, 2018, the victim was staying with her father at her uncle’s house. The victim was asleep on the bed with her brother. The defendant lay down behind her and sexually assaulted her. The victim “froze” while this was happening and tried to think of words to make it stop. She told the defendant to move, and she got off the bed and grabbed her phone and walked to the bathroom to call her mother. The defendant told her not to call her mother, but she called her and reported the abuse. The victim then called 911.

            The defendant was arrested the same day and has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the Children’s Advocacy Center, and Children’s National Medical Center. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocates Tracey Hawkins, Paralegal Specialist Brenda Williams, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the case.