Defendant Identifies Self as A ‘Monster in Disguise’

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A judge continued a sentencing for a sexual assault defendant during a Sept. 15 hearing.

Raymond Diggs was originally charged with five counts of first-degree child sex abuse, enticing a child, and misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child for sexual acts h conducted with his 9-year-old daughter. He pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree child sex abuse with aggravating circumstance and waived his right to a trial on Feb. 19, 2020. 

During the sentencing, the prosecution requested a stay away order for all minors involved in the case, including his daughter and his stepdaughter.  

The prosecution also called into question the validity of an expert witness testimony about Digg’s mental health, saying the expert used a lot of opinions and assumptions rather than facts.

Defense attorney Jacquline Cadman asked that Diggs be allowed to self-surrender at his place of incarceration.

To self-surrender, Diggs is given a time and a place to arrive in order to be detained and admitted to prison. This would allow Diggs to have three points removed from his incarceration score, which, in turn, would allow him to be admitted to a low-security facility with access to mental health programs. 

Cadman similarly requested individualized sex offender treatment as Diggs is a victim of sexual abuse himself.

As part of the plea deal, Diggs must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

The sentencing ended for the day with remarks from Diggs.  He called himself a “monster in disguise.”

“I am extremely sorry for what I did,” saying he suffered from depression in the past after being sexually assaulted as a child.

He ended his remarks by promising to remain in treatment and never become a reoffender.

The hearing is slated to continue on Sept. 21 with a sentence from DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz.

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