Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Jamal Rogers (age 23), of Woonsocket, was found guilty of five counts of second degree sexual assault. The jury returned the guilty after two days of deliberations preceded by a three-day trial before Superior Court Justice Daniel A. Procaccini. The jury found the defendant not guilty of one count of first degree sexual assault and one count of assault with intent to commit sexual assault.
During the trial, the State provide that during the afternoon of February 2, 2012, the defendant sexually assaulted a 15-year-old female.
The victim testified that she was on the swing set at Cass Park after school when she saw the defendant, who she did not recognize or know. She testified that she asked him for the time, to which he replied he did not have a watch and then asked her if she had any marijuana. She said no and then began to walk towards a nearby school to check the time.
The defendant grabbed her and pulled her into a wooded area behind the swing set, where he sexually assaulted her.
After the assault, the victim was able to escape. She ran to her grandparents' home, and although they asked if she was okay, she did not tell them about the assault because she did not want to upset them.
The following day, the victim reported the assault to a school counselor, who in turn reported the abuse to the Woonsocket Police School Resource Officer. The victim later identified the defendant from a photo array shown to her by the Woonsocket Police.
The defendant has been held without bail since his arrest.
Woonsocket Police Detective Sergeant Matthew Ryan led the investigation and Special Assistant Attorney General Alison DeCosta prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.