Defendant Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Abuse

Thank you for reading D.C. Witness. Help us continue our mission into 2024.

During an Aug. 25 hearing, a 31-year-old sex abuse defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree child sex abuse.

On the evening of Feb. 27, Dennis Morton arrived at his girlfriend’s residence at the 900 block of Kennedy Street, NW. While lying on his girlfriend’s bed with his child and his niece, Morton began inappropriately touching his niece, court documents state. After his girlfriend fell asleep, Morton took the victim to his daughter’s room and proceeded to sexually assault her.

Morton was picked up for an unrelated charge, but after custodial review, he was charged with first-degree child sex abuse for the offense on Feb. 27.

Morton accepted an Alford Plea in which he asserted his innocence but, given the evidence presented by the prosecution, understood that he would likely be found guilty by a judge or a jury beyond reasonable doubt if he were to go to trial.

Both parties settled on a sentence of 12 years in prison. Morton will also have to register as a sex offender.

“I don’t know. I guess. Whatever was going on with my niece I did it. I didn’t have knowledge of it at the time,” he said, explaining that he was under the influence of drugs at the time.

DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan scheduled the sentencing date for Nov. 4.