Soldier guilty in Waterford sex assault case
A jury in New London Superior Court convicted soldier Jarah M. Davis of two out of three charges Friday in connection with the May 23, 2015, sexual assault of a teen at his home in Waterford.
The six-member jury deliberated for three hours and returned the verdicts at 3 p.m. They found Davis, 29, guilty of second-degree sexual assault of a person who was physically helpless and delivery of alcohol to a minor. They found him not guilty of first-degree sexual assault.
Davis, who posted a $150,000 surety bond following his arrest in September 2015 and has been monitored electronically, will remain free until Judge Barbara Bailey Jongbloed sentences him on March 10. He faces a maximum of 21½ years in prison.
Prosecutor Theresa Anne Ferryman declined to comment and Davis' attorneys, Bryan P. Fiengo and Michael A. Blanchard, could not immediately be reached for comment. The attorneys are expected to address the court at sentencing.
The victim was 16 years old and living in a small town in Connecticut at the time of the incident. She is now 18 and attending college out of state. Her parents were in court for the verdict.
"After 601 days, justice has prevailed and we can begin to heal now," the victim's mother said.
According to testimony at the trial, Davis's wife, Kaitlyn, invited the teen to spend the night at the Davis' home on Mary Street after they attended a party together in Niantic on May 23, 2015. Davis provided the teen with several types of hard alcohol and had sex with her in his "man cave" after his wife went to bed.
The victim had testified that she told him "no," but that she was too drunk to move or speak when he had sex with her. Davis initially denied any sexual contact, but his DNA was found in a vaginal swab taken from the victim 36 hours after the incident during an examination at Middlesex Memorial Hospital.
On the witness stand Thursday, he testified that the sex was consensual and that immediately afterward, they both agreed it was a mistake.
His wife testified that she filed for divorce after Davis was arrested by Waterford Police. Davis was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army who completed four tours in the Middle East, earning four commendations and a bronze star. More recently he has served in the National Guard.
