A DC Superior Court judge issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a sexual abuse defendant who failed to appear in court.
On Jan. 7, Phillip Drumgoole pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child or minor and bail violation. The defendant was sentenced in January to 180 days in jail, 90 of which were suspended, for the sex abuse charge. He received a 90 day suspended sentence for the bail violation. He was also given two years of probation.
Drumgoole did not show up to his Aug. 4 hearing, which was scheduled to address noncompliance with the terms of his probation.
A Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) representative said Drumgoole has not been in contact with them since March.
The prosecution said that Drumgoole failed to register as a sex offender and picked up a simple assault case on July 17.
Defense attorney Marnitta King’s said a storm on Aug. 3 prevented the defendant from appearing before court, which Judge Gerald Fisher dismissed.
The 26-year-old defendant was charged for inappropriately grabbing a seven-year-old girl while she was going to school on the 1400 block of Columbia Road, NW on Oct. 25, 2019, according to court documents.
This is the fourth time a bench warrant has been issued in this case. The last bench warrant was issued on Jan. 15.
