District Man Sentenced to 3 1/2 Years in Prison For Sexually Abusing and Assaulting Former Girlfriend

            WASHINGTON – Nicholas Hagan White, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of 3 ½ years for sexually assaulting his former girlfriend earlier this year in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            White pled guilty in July 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of third-degree sexual abuse, one count of contempt, and one count of assault.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. Following his prison term, White will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

            According to the government’s evidence, White and the victim began dating while in college and moved in together following the victim’s graduation. During the course of their relationship, White physically assaulted the victim on several occasions, with the nature of the domestic violence escalating over time. The victim eventually ended their relationship on March 11, 2015, and began making efforts to move out of the apartment in Northwest Washington.  An argument took place two days later on March 13, 2015, that culminated in White physically and sexually assaulting the victim inside the apartment. 

            On that day, White and the victim were involved in an argument over the use of the victim’s car.  During the argument, White kicked the victim twice on her leg, smashed her work laptop across his knees, and took her cell phone and placed it on top of a kitchen cupboard in an attempt to prevent the victim from accessing it. While White was in another room, the victim took the phone and reported the assault to a friend.

            White then discovered that the victim had used her phone, at which point he pushed her onto a bed and began striking her in the head and pressing his leg into her knee with such force that the victim’s kneecap slid to the side of her leg.  Seeing this, White then grabbed the victim’s kneecap and attempted to place it back into its original position.  As the victim lay in the bed, White removed her clothing and raped her.  The victim attempted to push him away during the sexual assault but was unsuccessful. She ultimately left the apartment to call the police for help.

            During the pendency of this case, White was ordered not to contact the victim in any manner, including through a third party.  Despite this judicial order, he directed his father to provide the victim with a “sob story” in the hopes that she would no longer cooperate with the authorities. The defendant’s father sent the victim a text message later that same day, stating that White was, among other things, “frightened,” “alone,” “sad,” and “sorry.”  The text message did not dissuade the victim from cooperating in the investigation, and her involvement helped secure the defendant’s guilty plea in this case.     

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District and Sexual Assault Unit.  He also praised those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Troy Griffith and Erica Vample; Victim/Witness Advocates Meshall Thomas and Maria Shumar; Criminal Investigator John Marsh, and Legal Intern Emma McArthur.  Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danny Nguyen and Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.