Charleroi man gets up to 2 years for indecent assault
A Fayette County judge on Tuesday ordered a Charleroi man who was found guilty in September of indecent assault to spend up to two years in prison.
In addition to the one-to-two year prison sentence, Jonathan McDonough, 39, must register as a sex offender for the next 15 years, making reports annually to authorities to confirm his whereabouts. Also, as a condition of his parole, McDonough will be prohibited from making any contact with the victim, according to Senior Judge Gerald R. Solomon’s orders.
At trial, the victim testified that on the evening of Aug. 29, 2012, she was in a bedroom with McDonough and that he was helping her study for a driving test. She testified that playful tickling turned into unwanted sexual contact, and that when she told McDonough to stop, he didn’t listen.
Before the sentence was handed down, the victim addressed the court with an impact statement. She said after the incident, she felt ashamed and degraded as a woman. She said she has suffered from depression and that her struggles have caused stress on her family and children as well.
“I am on the long road to recovery now,” she told the court. “I am willing to forgive him, but I will never forget.”
The Herald-Standard does not identify victims of sexual crimes.
McDonough also had the opportunity to address the court before sentencing.
“I would just like to apologize if I hurt anyone,” said McDonough. He expressed remorse for everyone affected by the incident, and said he had no intention of causing harm.
At trial, the statement McDonough made to police when he was arrested was read to the jurors. In it, he wrote that he had performed a sex act on the victim and afterwards she said, “I hate you.”
According to McDonough, it was not unusual for the victim to say that after the two had been intimate.
He said he attempted to have vaginal intercourse with her and after about eight minutes, he testified she told him to stop.
In his statement, McDonough also told police he knew he had “(expletive) up” and he stated, “I know what ‘no’ means, and I know a girl doesn’t have to fight you off.”