DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan decided to modify July 13 a child sex abuser’s release conditions.
A 23-year-old man has been charged with two counts of first-degree child sex abuse and one count of second-degree child sex abuse. The charges stem from the defendant’s alleged sexual abuse of his 5-year-old and 7-year-old nieces. According to court documents, the abuse spanned multiple years, resulting in one of the victims contracting chlamydia.
Defense attorney Julie Swaney requested that the defendant be placed on personal recognizance instead of under the High-Intensity Supervision Program (HISP), easing the conditions of his release. Swaney noted, according to pre-trial services reports, the defendant has been compliant with his release conditions for almost 5 months.
Swaney also called for alterations to the defendant’s stay-away-order, including a request to allow the defendant to virtually call his 5-year-old son.
Both prosecutors and Judge Raffinan agreed to the stay-away-order modifications, emphasizing that the contact was strictly limited to virtual meetings.
Yet, Judge Raffinan denied Swaney’s request to move the defendant to personal recognizance, citing concerns about the severity of the charges.
“I’m not inclined to remove him from high intensity,” Judge Raffinan said.
Judge Raffinan also agreed to modify the defendant’s curfew, if work hours require a modification.
The defendant’s next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 4.
