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By
Alisha Budhwani [former]
- March 8, 2022
Court
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Daily Stories
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Data
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Domestic Violence
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Sex Abuse
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Sexual Assault
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Victims
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A defendant accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl he has known for her entire life accepted a plea deal from the prosecution.
Jerry Barton was initially charged with first-degree sexual abuse in a domestic violence case. On March 8, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor. The charge carries a maximum penalty of seven-and-a-half years in prison.
During the hearing, the prosecutor said it is unclear if the victim and Barton are biologically related, but said they had a familial-like relationship.
The defendant has been released since February 2020. He will remain released as he awaits his sentencing date, which DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled for May 27.