Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Sexual Battery and Aggravated Assault

District Attorney Joel Smith announced today that Derrick Brown, age 22, of Gulfport, pled guilty earlier this week to Attempted Sexual Battery and Aggravated Assault in the Harrison County Courthouse. After accepting his plea, Circuit Court Judge Christopher Schmidt ordered a pre-sentence background investigation and set the sentencing hearing for May 2.
The case first came to the attention of authorities in the early morning hours on February 11, 2015 after 911 calls reported an assault at the Emerald Pines Apartment in Gulfport. Evidence introduced by ADA Crosby Parker at the plea hearing showed that at approximately 7:00 a.m., the Defendant began running around the apartment complex groping women. At one point, the Defendant knocked on his neighbor’s door. When the victim answered the door, the Defendant forced his way inside her home. Once inside the residence, the Defendant attempted to sexually assault the victim and when she screamed for help, the Defendant choked her with a vacuum cleaner electrical cord. The victim was able to get away from the Defendant long enough to open the door and get help. The Defendant was captured by Gulfport Police attempting to flee the area. During his plea hearing, the Defendant apologized to the Court and the victim. He stated that he had just smoked spice and did not understand or completely remember what he had done.
For the Attempted Sexual Battery, Brown faces up to 30 years in prison. Given the nature of that crime, the sentence will be served day for day without the eligibility of probation or parole and once released Brown must register as a sex offender. For the Aggravated Assault charge, Brown faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

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