WASHINGTON
– Urbano Vazquez, 47 of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of
committing four counts of child sexual abuse against to two children in his
parish from 2015 to 2017, in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney
Jessie K. Liu.
The guilty
verdicts were returned Thursday, August 15, 2019, following a nine-day trial in
the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Juliet McKenna
scheduled sentencing for November 22, 2019.
The
government’s evidence established that between on or about April 1, 2015 and
May 31, 2015, Vazquez molested a 13-year-old girl while speaking with her in a
parish office. In addition, between June 2016 and August 2017, Vazquez kissed
and molested a separate 9-to-10-year-old girl in various places on church
grounds, including near the church confessionals, in the church basement, and
in the church sacristy. The jury also heard testimony from an additional
teenage girl who Vazquez kissed in a church conference room.
In
announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who
investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Department
of Forensic Sciences Leica Team. She also acknowledged the efforts of Heather
Gordon, an Intelligence Analyst with the FBI Washington Field Office, and those
who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory
Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Victim/Witness Program
Specialist Juanita Harris Tracy Owusu, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services
Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Lynda
Randolph, Paralegal Tiffany Jones, Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth
Trosman, Chrisellen Kolb, and Elizabeth
Danello, Deputy Chief Mark O’Brien, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Creighton, and
interns Aquila Maliyekkal and Rustin Armknecht. In addition, she appreciated
the assistance of Elizabeth Dewar, Assistant Chief Counsel, Department of
Homeland Security. She also acknowledged
the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Matt Williams and Sharon
Marcus-Kurn, who investigated and prosecuted the case. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the
support of members of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and the Archdiocese of
Washington.
Ms. Liu
also notes that on October 22, 2018, the Superior Court Division’s Sex Offense
and Domestic Violence Section and the Victim Witness Assistance Unit of the
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia launched a hotline and
e-mail address for survivors to report child sexual abuse by clergy. She continues to encourage survivors of child
sexual abuse by clergy who wish to share their experiences and/or those who
have knowledge of such abuse are encouraged to report these incidents to the
U.S. Attorney’s Office for potential criminal investigation and prosecution, as
a part of the Office’s Superior Court Division intake process.
Survivors
of child sexual abuse by a clergy member that took place in a house of worship,
school, or other location in the District of Columbia can call the Clergy Abuse
Reporting Line at 202-252-7008 or send an e-mail to
USADC.ReportClergyAbuse@usdoj.gov.
Survivors can access further information by visiting the following
website:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/victim-witness-assistance/report-clergy-abuse
All reports
will be reviewed and a team of experienced criminal investigators, prosecutors,
and victim advocates from the Superior Court Division of the U.S. Attorney’s
Office will determine whether any criminal charges can be brought or victim services
provided. The victim advocates, who are part of the Victim Witness Assistance
Unit, are available to offer support and guidance to survivors who wish to
report.
Depending
on the nature of the report, some information may be referred to law
enforcement or the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.
Individuals
in need of police assistance or wishing to report any other criminal activity
or sexual assault or abuse should call 911.
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