Remarks by Principal Deputy Director Bea Hanson of the Office on Violence Against Women at the 2015 National Sexual Assault Conference

Los Angeles, CA

United States

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Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Remarks as prepared for delivery

Thank you, Sandra [Henriquez], for that kind introduction.  I want to thank you and Delilah [Rumburg], and the entire staff of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape for all of your hard work to make NSAC 2015 a huge success.  And a special thank you to all of you—presenters and participants—for making the commitment to attend this conference and share both your passion and your knowledge.  It is truly inspiring to be in a room with so many people working day in and day out to make a real difference in the lives of so many victims and survivors every day.  Thank you.  And, it is my honor to be here with Valerie Jarrett, Carrie Bettinger-Lopez, and Debra Houry—just to show the true commitment of this Administration to address the issue of sexual assault—front and center.

This year’s theme, Inspired by Progress, United by Purpose, is particularly resonant to me.  As many of you know, in October 2014, OVW launched a national tour to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act—starting in my hometown Brooklyn, New York.  Over the past year, I have traveled to 20 states, visited nearly 50 communities and heard from hundreds of survivors, victim advocates, culturally-specific organizations, medical professionals, police officers, prosecutors, judges and others about their community’s commitment to ending domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking.  Here are just a few examples of what I saw: a poetry slam in Boise, Idaho, with high school and middle school kids sharing, in rhyme, their experiences with sexual and dating violence; a sexual assault nurse examiner program in a new hospital on the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma; in New York City, a domestic violence organization serving the Asian community making significant organizational changes to provide services to sexual assault survivors; a comprehensive program for homeless youth impacted by sexual assault in King County, Washington; and a sexual assault prevention program created by young men in Kake, a remote Alaska Native Village.  These visits provide us at OVW with a better understanding of how best practices and lessons learned are playing out across the country and areas in which we still have gaps.

Through our 20 years of work, we have learned that victims are more likely to go to the police and through the criminal justice system if they have a supportive advocate.  That specialized police units, prosecution units and courts with expertise in sexual violence often result in better outcomes for victims.  Effective sexual assault prevention programs must be sustained over time – not just a one-shot deal.  Victims who receive comprehensive advocacy and services are more likely to heal and thrive than those who do not.  On-going training of police, health workers, prosecutors, judges and other professionals is instrumental in supporting survivors and responding effectively to sexual violence.  And efforts to address sexual violence are particularly effective when they are combined and integrated into a coordinated community response.  These are just a few examples of what we have learned.

We have recently celebrated a number of victories to improve our nation’s response to sexual assault.  The first is an issue that I worked on for decades as an advocate—as have many of you.  Three years ago, the Attorney General announced that the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report definition of rape was updated from “the carnal knowledge of a woman” to account for all forms of rape, regardless of the victim’s gender, relationship to the offender or the mode of penetration.  It also includes instances in which the victim is incapacitated and thus incapable of giving consent.  In 2013, the department released an updated National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exams and a companion guide designed to assist administrators of prisons, jails and community confinement facilities in responding to reports of sexual assault.

And the passage of VAWA 2013 includes a greater emphasis on sexual assault than ever before.  It includes designated funding and new purpose areas for Sexual Assault Response Teams, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner programs and specialized law enforcement units.  These activities all promote a coordinated response to sexual assault that is grounded in practices that research tells us are either promising or proven effective.

Over the past few years, OVW has established a priority for sexual assault in recognition of the lack of adequate services to victims and the need to improve law enforcement response and increase prosecutions.  And I am making two important announcements today related to our prioritizing of sexual assault.  First, I am excited to announce the release of a new solicitation: the Sexual Assault Justice Initiative.  We invite applications from prosecutors’ offices interested in adopting a set of performance measures that focus on the use of effective prosecution strategies and victims’ experiences with the justice process to gauge prosecutorial success.  We anticipate selecting up to eight sites to receive two-year awards of up to $400,000 each.  The solicitation is on our website and www.Grants.gov.  Applications are due on Oct. 13, 2015.  The Sexual Assault Justice Initiative is an opportunity for prosecutors to learn about, and implement, best practices for sexual assault prosecution.

Ending sexual violence is a priority for the Department of Justice.  But this will require creating a culture where victims feel safe reporting the crime, where they will be treated with respect by all of those with whom they come into contact and where offenders are held accountable for their crimes.

We see this most recently in the national conversation about campus sexual assault and I am happy to announce that OVW’s Campus Grant Program is awarding $8.5 million to 27 colleges and universities in 20 states and territories, including two in California.  This includes two Historically Black Colleges and Universities, one Tribal College and four Hispanic-serving Institutions.  With OVW funds, these campuses will enhance victim services, implement prevention and educational programs and develop and strengthen campus security and investigation strategies to prevent, prosecute and respond to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking on campuses.

In my four years at OVW, I have felt privileged to witness the leadership and unwavering commitment of the Department of Justice and the Obama Administration to address sexual violence.  We are working to ensure that survivors everywhere know that they have a place – and a voice – in this administration; and to build a future where sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking are eradicated.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to each of you on behalf of the Department of Justice, Attorney General Lynch, the Office on Violence Against Women and advocates, victims and survivors across the country for the work that you do each and every day.  None of us can solve these problems alone – and we need partners like you to make change possible.  Thank you.

Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Threats, Firearm Possession, and Interstate Stalking

PORTLAND, ME—United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Michael R. Thomas, 52, of Portland, pleaded guilty today to threatening members of Congress, mailing threatening communications, interstate stalking, and possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.

According to court records, in 2010 and 2011, Thomas sent letters threatening to kill U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman, U.S. Representative Steve King and Maine Governor Paul LePage. From 2006 to 2011, Thomas sent a series of harassing and threatening letters to a victim in Massachusetts with the intent to cause substantial emotional distress. In March of 2011, agents executing a search warrant at Thomas’s residence in Portland found a .45 caliber pistol in his bedroom. Thomas was prohibited from possessing the firearm under federal law because of a prior felony stalking conviction in Massachusetts.

Thomas faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment each on the threats to Senator Lieberman and Representative King, the firearm possession charge and the interstate stalking charge. He faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the threat to Governor LePage. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. He will be sentenced after completion of a pre-sentence report by the United States Probation Office.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Capitol Police; the Maine State Police; and the Danvers, Massachusetts Police Department.

Tucson Man Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Federal Prison for Stalking

TUCSON—Moses Antonio Shepard, 47, of Tucson, was sentenced on Monday to 100 months (eight years and four moths) in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson. Shepard was convicted by a jury on January 19, 2012 of two counts of interstate stalking.

“Stalking is a serious, potentially life-threatening crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ann Birmingham Scheel. “A stalker not only permanently changes the life of his victim, but he also affects the victim’s family, friends, and co-workers. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who engage in this frightening crime.”

“This sentence is the culmination of efforts by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Hartford Connecticut Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office,” stated FBI SAC James L. Turgal, Jr. “Moses Shepard pursued the victim for 17 years, seriously impacting her life. For two decades, the victim was unable to feel safe at home or at work, constantly fearing for her life. The FBI will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to ensure the safety of the citizens in our community.”

The evidence at trial showed that Shepard met the victim in a running club in New York City in 1992 and pursued her over the next two decades despite her repeatedly telling Shepard she was not interested in him and requesting that he leave her alone. Shepard continuously contacted the victim by telephone, mail, and e-mail and managed to track her down as she moved across the country in an attempt to conceal her whereabouts from him. On a number of occasions, Shepard traveled to the victim’s home, school, or place of work. Shepard also contacted and harassed the victim’s family members during his relentless pursuit. In 2007, Shepard traveled from Tucson to Connecticut, where he waited near the victim’s home for two days and attempted to meet with her. From 2009 to 2010, Shepard sent the victim dozens of e-mails, some of which were threatening in nature. The victim’s life was significantly impacted by Shepard’s harassment.

In sentencing Shepard to 100 months in prison, Judge Jorgenson noted the extreme distress caused to the victim and Shepard’s lack of remorse for his crimes. Following his term of imprisonment, Shepard will be on supervised release for three years.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the West Hartford (Connecticut) Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Angela W. Woolridge, District of Arizona, Tucson.

Washington Man to Serve 30 Months in Prison for Stalking Oklahoma Woman

OKLAHOMA CITY—Last Friday, Coy C. Coleman, 42, of Olympia, Washington, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robin J. Cauthron to serve 30 months in prison for interstate stalking, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

On June 22, 2011, a federal grand jury charged Coleman with interstate stalking. According to the indictment, Coleman lived outside of Oklahoma and used the mail, a computer service, and a facility of interstate commerce to engage in a course of conduct that caused substantial emotional distress to two women in southwest Oklahoma.

Coleman pled guilty on December 1, 2011. At the plea hearing, he admitted that he was originally from Oklahoma, moved away from the state, but continued to make contact with one of the Oklahoma women. Coleman admitted that from April 2008 through September 2009, he sent the Oklahoma victim several postcards and letters from around the world, posted MySpace messages about her, and helped to place telephone calls to the victim. He admitted that his contacts with the Oklahoma woman were rude and derogatory and were meant to harass and frighten her.

At the sentencing hearing last Friday, Judge Cauthron ordered Coleman to serve 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General-Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris M. Stephens.