Defendant Knocked Pregnant Victim to Sidewalk and Groped Her
WASHINGTON - Michael Williams, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to three years in prison for groping a stranger after knocking her to the sidewalk in downtown Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
The victim was eight months pregnant at the time. Fortunately, both the victim and her baby sustained no serious injuries.
Williams pled guilty in September 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of third-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Zoe Bush. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for a 10-year period.
According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, May 5, 2017, at about 3:30 p.m., Williams approached the victim just outside the U.S. Tax Court in the 400 block of 3rd Street NW. He was stark naked. When the victim saw Williams approaching, she tried to flee, but Williams caught her, grabbed her, and tackled her to the sidewalk, where he groped her. A guard inside the Tax Court saw the assault and ran outside to try to intervene, but Williams fled. By happenstance, a homicide detective with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was driving by and saw a naked man running up 3rd Street. He jumped out of his car, pursued, caught and arrested Williams. Williams has been in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the quick action of the homicide detective and the security officers at the U.S. Tax Court who helped pursue the defendant. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
