A federal jury in Raleigh, North Carolina, has found David Leonard Mayes, 41, guilty of aggravated sexual abuse against a child. The conviction comes after evidence was presented showing that Mayes raped a nine-year-old girl with severe autism who is nonverbal while visiting her family at Camp Lejeune.
According to court records and trial testimony, the victim’s mother returned home earlier than expected and discovered her daughter’s bedroom door closed. Upon entering, she witnessed Mayes committing the act. Investigators later recovered a tub of petroleum jelly from the child’s room with Mayes’s fingerprint on it. Forensic analysis revealed the victim’s DNA on Mayes’s genitals and traces of petroleum jelly on both individuals.
“Mr. Mayes must be held accountable for targeting and cruelly exploiting a particularly vulnerable child for illicit, selfish gratification,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly Parrish of the NCIS Carolinas Field Office. “NCIS and our law enforcement partners are unwaveringly committed to protecting Department of the Navy warfighters and their families by disrupting and rigorously investigating those who prey on innocent children.”
Mayes will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison, with the possibility of life imprisonment when sentenced.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announced the verdict after it was accepted by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The case was investigated by NCIS and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Haughton and Ashley Foxx.
