Man Sentenced to Over 30 Years for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of Special Needs Child

RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge has sentenced David Leonard Mayes, 41, to more than 30 years in prison for the aggravated sexual abuse of a special needs child. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Mayes was found guilty by a federal jury in March 2026 of aggravated sexual abuse against a minor. The crime occurred while Mayes was visiting the victim’s family on Camp Lejeune.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Mayes raped a nine-year-old child who was described as disabled, nonverbal, and severely autistic. The victim’s mother discovered the abuse when she returned home early, found her daughter’s door closed, and entered the room to find Mayes sexually assaulting her daughter.

The investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) yielded significant forensic evidence. Investigators located a tub of petroleum jelly in the victim’s room, which bore Mayes’s fingerprint. DNA testing further confirmed the abuse, with the victim’s DNA found on Mayes’s genitals and a petroleum jelly substance present around both individuals’ genitals.

U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle emphasized the severity of the crime, stating that Mayes exploited his relationship with the victim’s mother to violate a defenseless child. Boyle noted that Mayes’s decision to contest the charges forced the family to relive the trauma during the public trial.

Special Agent in Charge Kelly Parrish of the NCIS Carolinas Field Office highlighted the overwhelming forensic evidence secured by NCIS Special Agents, which led to a swift conviction and a sentence that removes a dangerous threat from the community. Parrish affirmed NCIS’s commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals within Navy and Marine Corps communities.

U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III presided over the sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Haughton and Ashley Foxx prosecuted the case.