HARTFORD, Conn. — A prosecutor added felony costs, together with tried sexual assault, Monday in opposition to a person accused of attacking Connecticut’s first Muslim state consultant after a prayer service, however didn’t file hate crime allegations demanded by the lawmaker’s supporters.
The case of Andrey Desmond, 30, went earlier than a decide in Hartford Superior Court, the place supporters of state Rep. Maryam Khan, together with native imams, additionally gathered.
“It continues to be a mystery to me why the state isn’t bringing bias crimes in this type of incident,” mentioned Farhan Memon, chairman of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “Having this charged as a bias crime sends a message out to the rest of the population that this is going to be something that’s dealt with seriously.”
Hartford State’s Attorney Sharmese Walcott didn’t return messages looking for remark concerning the case and the demand to file hate crime allegations.
During the listening to, Walcott mentioned the extra costs had been the results of a evaluate of all proof gathered by Hartford police, together with video footage and “a clear statement by the defendant … that he intended to force sexual contact,” in keeping with audio of the listening to supplied by the courtroom system.
“The statement of sexual intent that Andrey Desmond made was in the presence of three children, all under the age of 16,” Wolcott mentioned, including the kids suffered psychological trauma.
Desmond was initially charged with misdemeanors, together with third-degree assault and illegal restraint, after the June 28 assault on Khan exterior a Hartford area the place the Muslim prayer service was held. Walcott on Monday added felony costs of tried third-degree sexual assault, second-degree assault, strangulation and threat of harm to youngsters.
Desmond stays detained on $250,000 bail and is scheduled to return to courtroom Aug. 22. His public defender, Michael Wagner, didn’t return messages. Wagner didn’t reply to the allegations throughout the courtroom listening to, in keeping with the audio. He requested copies of supplemental police studies.
Desmond, who has not entered pleas, was dropped at the courthouse lockup, however didn’t seem within the courtroom for the listening to.
Khan, a Democrat who lives within the Hartford suburb of Windsor, has mentioned she and her household had been taking pictures exterior the sector when a person approached and mentioned he “intended to have sexual relations” with one in every of them, together with Khan’s 15-year-old daughter. Her household was marking Eid al-Adha, the tip of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage by Muslims to Mecca.
Desmond then adopted them inside and Khan mentioned he began to pursue her specifically, grabbing at her face and shirt and demanding a kiss. He adopted her again exterior and tried to seize her face once more, she mentioned, however turned offended when she “dodged him” and slapped her throughout the face. She mentioned he later held her in a “chokehold” and held up his hand and mimicked having a gun earlier than slamming her into the bottom.
“I knew in that moment my body went numb, and I thought I was going to die,” she mentioned at a information convention earlier this month.
Khan mentioned she was identified with a concussion and injured her proper arm and shoulder.
The Associated Press doesn’t typically determine individuals who report tried sexual assaults until they publicly determine themselves, as Khan has carried out.
Desmond was chased down and held by two bystanders till police arrived and arrested him.
Khan didn’t return an electronic mail message looking for remark. Memon mentioned she attended Monday’s courtroom listening to.
She has accused Hartford police of downplaying the assault and referred to as for a federal investigation of the division’s dealing with of violent crimes, particularly in opposition to girls.
A police spokesman didn’t return a message Monday.
Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody has expressed his sympathy for Khan and mentioned the division will evaluate its response to the assault.
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This story has been corrected to indicate that Desmond was charged with tried third-degree sexual assault, not third-degree sexual assault.
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