Damion Brown, a 33-year-old resident of Washington D.C., has been sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by lifetime supervision for the sexual abuse of his girlfriend's 13-year-old daughter. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Brown was convicted on May 7, 2024, on ten felony charges, including first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree child sexual abuse. The verdict was delivered by a Superior Court jury after a multi-day trial. Judge Anthony Epstein also ordered Brown to have no contact with the victim or her mother.
The prosecution's evidence revealed that on February 24, 2023, while home alone with the defendant—her mother's live-in boyfriend—the victim experienced the assault. Brown entered her room as she changed clothes, engaged in inappropriate physical contact, and performed multiple sexual acts before leaving the room laughing. The victim reported the incident to her aunt immediately afterward, who then notified the police.
Police arrived at the scene while Brown was still present in the apartment. DNA testing conducted later confirmed that Brown could not be excluded from positive DNA results found on the victim.
In announcing the sentencing decision, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended those involved in investigating and prosecuting the case from both MPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Special acknowledgment was given to Victim Advocate Veronica Vaughn; former Forensic Child Interviewer Tracy Owusu; Paralegals ReShawn Johnson and Garcia Clarke; Katina Washington-Adams for assisting with witness travel; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Folse and Robert Platt who prosecuted the case.