Judge Finds Probable Cause for Sex Abuse Case

By Tory Lysik [former] , D.C. Witness Staff - September 10, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Juveniles | Sex Abuse | Suspects | Victims |

A DC Superior Court judge ruled that a child sex abuse case has enough evidence to go to trial.

The defendant is charged with first-degree child sex abuse for allegedly abusing a relative multiple times, beginning when she was nine-years-old and ending when she was 11-years-old. The defendant also has a criminal case in Montgomery County, Md., involving the same victim, according to a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective who testified during the Sept. 8 hearing.

The defendant rejected a plea offer for attempted second-degree sex abuse. “I’m entirely prepared to prove my innocence,” he said.

The detective said she drove the victim and her grandmother around to identify locations where the alleged abuse took place. The victim identified locations on Alaska and Georgia Avenue, near the DC-Maryland border, she said.

The defendant allegedly began abusing the victim in his van when he moved to DC, according to court documents. The van was confiscated and both blue and black lights were used to find biological evidence, the detective said. None was found.

The victim said that the last time the abuse occurred was in a hotel room in Maryland, according to court documents. The detective was able to verify a reservation ticket and license belonging to the defendant that she obtained from a hotel in Silver Springs, Md. The detective said there was no security footage available from the hotel.

The victim reported the abuse in order to speak “up about something that’s been happening to me for years that shouldn’t have been happening,” according to court documents.

According to the detective, the victim had previously reported the abuse to a family member who told them not to report further. The family member later allegedly told the victim that, if she does report it, to blame a different family member. The defendant also allegedly threatened to kill the victim and himself if she tells anyone, according to court documents.

Judge Marisa Demeo found probable cause. She scheduled a felony status conference for Oct. 14. The defendant is currently being held at DC Jail.