| Inmate name: | Damon Kendrick Dove |
| Charge description: | A jury convicted Damon Kendrick Dove of Sexual Assault before sentencing him to 35 years in prison on July 23, 2013. The 40-year-old Missouri City man was charged with attacking a woman in June 2012 after meeting her at a neighborhood pool. According to Assistant District Attorney Donna Mahmoudi, officers responded to a report of a woman beating on the door of a Sugar Land home asking for help. The woman said that she had been sexually assaulted by a man whom she met earlier in the day at a neighborhood pool near Cartwright Road and Valley Forest Drive in Missouri City. The woman stated that she had gone out for a drink with the man, Damon Dove, when he suggested that they go look at deer. Dove drove his victim to a remote location before demanding she get out and walk home or put out. The defendant then forcibly sexually assaulted his victim for approximately an hour, causing her significant pain. The victim summoned her strength, pushed Dove away, and ran down a dirt road and across a field, losing her shoes along the way. She ran towards the only lit object in the area, which was the residence where she found refuge. The woman was taken to the hospital for a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination (SANE) exam. She also provided officers a piece of paper that Dove had given her with his name and phone number. Detectives used law enforcement databases to further identify Dove as a suspect. During the investigation, Dove maintained that he had consensual sex with his victim, who left his car to walk home after reconsidering having sex with someone she had just met. At trial, the defendant also contended that his victim, who has been diagnosed with Schizophrenia, was having a delusional episode misconstruing the consensual sex. The womans psychiatrist testified that she was compliant with her medication regimen and her symptoms were well managed. In response to cross-examination, the woman testified this was rape, not sex I know the difference. After convicting Dove of Sexual Assault, the jury heard testimony about his prior convictions for violating protective orders and a history of violent assaultive behavior. They heard testimony from two other women who alleged they had also been sexually assaulted by the defendant, although Dove claimed that he had consensual sex with them as well. Those charges are still pending. The defendants attorney asked the jury for a sentence of five to ten years because prison is hard-core punishment and Dove still has a lot to offer. Prosecutor Donna Mahmoudi reminded the jury that all the defendant had offered his victims was pain and that he deserves hard-core punishment so that no one else will have to suffer. The jury agreed with Mahmoudi. Damon Dove is a predator who used his clothes, his occupation and his family to convince women to trust him, said Mahmoudi. He chose victims who were responsive to his attention and who he thought would not be believed. He took advantage of their trust to isolate them before threatening and assaulting them. His criminal history is evidence of the number of chances he has been given to rehabilitate. The victim and Fort Bend County District Attorneys Office are especially grateful for the rapid response of the deputies, detectives, and investigators of the Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office in their investigation and diligence in preparing for trial, added Assistant district Attorney Chad Bridges. Dove was tried in the 268th District Court before Presiding Judge Brady Elliott. Sexual Assault in this case is a second-degree felony punishable by 2-20 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $10,000. Because Dove had been previously convicted of a felony, his range of punishment was increased to a minimum of five years to a maximum of life in prison. The defendant was not eligible for probation. Assistant District Attorneys Donna Mahmoudi and Chad Bridges prosecuted the case. Attorney David McClure represented the defendant. |
| Booking location: | Fort Bend County, TX |
