Maurice Antuan Speights, Sexual Assault of a Federal Officer, LA 2013

Maurice Antuan Speights, 32, of Tallahassee, Florida, is headed to federal prison for more than 10 years after being convicted of sexually assaulting a female officer stationed at Fort Polk Military Base. The brutal crime unfolded in the early hours of October 21, 2013, after a night of heavy drinking in Leesville, Louisiana. Speights, a civilian with no military affiliation, was sentenced Thursday to 121 months in federal prison on one count of sexual abuse.

U.S. District Judge Donald Walter handed down the sentence following a two-day jury trial that concluded September 20, 2016. Evidence presented during the trial showed Speights and the victim, who was temporarily staying with a relative, went out drinking with a mutual female friend. By the end of the night, the victim was so incapacitated she had to be carried unconscious into an upstairs bedroom. That’s where Speights took advantage, prosecutors said.

The victim testified she woke up in the middle of the night to find Speights sexually assaulting her. She had no memory of any prior sexual contact and clearly stated there was no consent. Speights, during an FBI interview, admitted to having sex with the woman but claimed it was consensual—a claim the jury rejected after hearing testimony from the victim and the third-party witness.

The female friend who was with them that night confirmed the victim was completely passed out upon returning to the house. She said both she and Speights helped carry the unconscious woman upstairs. There was no indication of any interaction between the victim and Speights prior to that moment that suggested intimacy or mutual interest. The timeline and physical evidence backed the victim’s account of assault.

As part of his sentence, Speights must serve five years of supervised release following his prison term, pay $3,570 in restitution, and register as a sex offender. Federal prosecutors emphasized the severity of committing violent crimes on military installations, where service members should feel safe behind the gates meant to protect national defense.

“Our military keeps us safe here and around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley. “Its members should not have to face violence on any military installation. We take these cases seriously and will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” The case was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and David C. Joseph.