A thrice convicted felony offender, who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl, has been sentenced to 192 years in prison for the attack on the teenager.
Dominic Pearson, 26, of Edgewater was convicted in May of two counts of sexual assault, one count of kidnapping and two violent crime counts.
At the time of the June 2009 assault in an Edgewater apartment complex, Pearson had three felony convictions, according to the Jefferson County district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors said that the 16-year-old was sexually assaulted while staying with a friend who lived in the same Edgewater complex as Pearson.
On the night of the incident, the victim and her friend met Pearson and a friend of Pearson in the complex parking lot.
After Pearson bought them alcohol, they went back to the victim’s friend’s apartment where they drank the alcohol.
According to prosecutors, Pearson and his friend left around midnight and went to a bar. In the meantime, the victim and her friend went to sleep.
Later that night, the teenager awoke to find Pearson in the apartment, ordered him out and was attacked by Pearson who punched her.
Prosecutors said that the victim’s friend was able to escape and call police.
However, the victim was sexually assaulted and then dragged by Pearson from the apartment to Pearson’s apartment where the sexual assault continued.
When Edgewater police arrived at the complex, Pearson was distracted long enough that the teenager was able to escape by jumping through a window.
The DA’s office took Pearson to trial three times in connection with the June 2009 case.
The first trial ended in a mistrial and the second ended in a hung jury. The third trial, which ended on May 27, resulted in the multiple convictions.
On May 28, Pearson was found to be an habitual criminal at a separate trial.
Earlier this week, Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey awarded the teenager a “Courage Coin”. The coin is given to someone who has demonstrated the strength to “persevere through danger, fear and difficulty – someone who acted selflessly in the pursuit of justice,” according to the district attorney’s office.Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
