District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Woman

            WASHINGTON – Michael Williams, 24, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of third-degree sexual abuse for groping a stranger after knocking her to the sidewalk in downtown Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.

            The victim was eight months pregnant at the time. Fortunately, both the victim and her baby sustained no serious injuries.

            Williams pled guilty on Sept. 8, 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Zoe Bush scheduled sentencing for Nov. 17, 2017. Once released from prison, Williams will be placed on a period of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for a 10-year period.

            According to the government’s evidence, on May 5, 2017, at about 3:30 p.m., Williams approached the victim just outside the U.S. Tax Court in the 400 block of 3^rd Street NW. He was stark naked. When the victim saw Williams approaching, she tried to flee, but Williams caught her, grabbed her, and tackled her to the sidewalk, where he groped her. A guard inside the Tax Court saw the assault and ran outside to try to intervene, but Williams fled. By happenstance, a homicide detective with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was driving by and saw a naked man running up 3^rd Street. He jumped out of his car, pursued, caught and arrested Williams. Williams has been in custody since his arrest.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the quick action of the homicide detective and the security officers at the U.S. Tax Court who helped pursue the defendant. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris. Finally, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.