Judge Sentences Sex Abuse Defendant

By Laura Bream [former] - October 19, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Sex Abuse | Suspects | Victims |

A DC Superior Court judge sentenced a man for two misdemeanor sexual abuse charges.

In June, Quentin Mercer was charged with misdemeanor sexual abuse on the accusation that he groped a woman on the 4000 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE, on June 28. The following month, he was charged with second-degree child sex abuse on the accusation that he groped a 14-year-old girl in the same location on July 22.

After making a deal with prosecutors the 41-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sex abuse in his first case and misdemeanor sex abuse of a child or minor in his second case.

During the Oct. 19 hearing, Judge Juliet McKenna sentenced Mercer to 120 days, all of which were suspended, plus five years of supervised probation for the misdemeanor sex abuse charge.

For the charge of misdemeanor sex abuse of a child or minor, Judge McKenna sentenced Mercer to six months, half of which were suspended, followed by five years of supervised probation. He will have the opportunity to petition to either terminate the probation altogether or to end the supervision after two years of compliance.

Since the defendant has been held at DC Jail since late July and will be receiving credit for time served, he is set to be released once he finishes the quarantine period he is currently in.

Mercer will also be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years and stay away from the location of the offenses. Mercer is also expected to comply with mental health services as part of his probation.

Although defense attorney Terrence Austin requested a shorter probation time, Judge McKenna granted the prosecution’s request for a five-year probation period due to Mercer’s past criminal record and the fact that he was on probation when he picked up the cases.