WASHERINGTON – A 13-year-old girl’s life was forever changed when she was sexually abused by a 22-year-old man from Delaware, according to court documents.
Robert Sanders III, 22, of Dover, Delaware, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree child sexual abuse in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is set to be sentenced by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston on June 23, 2015.
Sanders’ guilty plea comes after he admitted to engaging in several sexual acts with the 13-year-old girl during her spring break in April 2014. He had been living with a relative in Southeast Washington at the time, and the victim was visiting relatives in the same household.
The abuse was discovered by family members after they found text messages that Sanders and the victim had exchanged.
Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division, which investigated the case, as well as the staff of Safe Shores, which interviewed the victim.
Cohen also expressed gratitude for the specialized medical treatment provided by the team of child abuse experts at the Freddie Mac Child and Adolescent Protection Center at the Children’s National Medical Center.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted the case, commended the efforts of everyone involved, saying that their hard work was instrumental in bringing Sanders to justice.
Sanders faces up to life in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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