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By
Isabella Quink [former]
- February 15, 2023
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DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan ordered a full mental health examination in a child sexual abuse case due to inconclusive preliminary results in a Feb. 15 hearing.
Dennis Morton, 31, pleaded guilty to first-degree child sex abuse on Aug. 25 for a sexual assault involving his 10-year-old niece. The incident occurred on Feb. 27, 2022, on the 900 block of Kennedy Street, NW. Morton is pending sentencing.
Judge Raffinan said the doctor was unable to form an opinion on Morton’s competency, leading the doctor to recommend a more extensive 30-45 day full mental health examination. There were no objections from either party.
Morton accepted a plea agreement with a suggested sentence of 12 years and a stay away order from the victim. Morton also faced domestic violence charges connected to this case, but they were dismissed as a term of the plea agreement.
According to court documents, the victim states that while Morton was at his girlfriend’s residence, he inappropriately touched her, picked her up and brought her into a different room where he engaged in non-consensual sexual activity.
Morton was previously charged with a felony for distribution of a controlled substance. However, on April 7, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance, bringing the charges from a felony to a misdemeanor.
April 7 was also the day he was arrested in this case.
A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Feb. 17 but because of the order for extensive examination, the hearing was vacated.
The next hearing is scheduled for March 28 to discuss the full examination results in moving forward with sentencing.