By D.C. Witness Staff - August 21, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Victims |

A DC Superior Court judge allowed a sex abuse defendant to stay on pretrial release.

The defendant, who is 42 years old, is charged with misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child or minor for allegedly engaging in inappropriate sexual behavior with a 14-year-old girl on or about Aug. 2. He is under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP.) 

“I do understand that it would be a shame to have to go to jail…on a misdemeanor given the current state of events,” Judge Rainey Brandt said during the Aug. 21 hearing.

A notice of noncompliance was filed against the defendant on Aug. 20. 

A Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) officer said an officer contacted the defendant to ask why he didn’t charge his GPS. The defendant said he left his charger at another place where he had been staying.

The defendant says his GPS monitor has only gone dead twice and the prosecution later agreed.

Judge Brandt gave the defendant a short turnaround to come into compliance with his release conditions, scheduling a follow up hearing for Aug. 26.