Man convicted of raping nonverbal child with autism at Camp Lejeune

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC (WWAY) — A federal jury has convicted a 41-year-old man of aggravated sexual abuse of a child following an incident at Camp Lejeune.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, David Leonard Mayes was found guilty of raping a nine-year-old child while visiting the girl’s family on the base.

Prosecutors say the victim is severely autistic and nonverbal.

Investigators say the child’s mother arrived home early and found her daughter’s bedroom door closed. When she opened the door, authorities say she caught Mayes in the act.

According to investigators, a tub of petroleum jelly was found in the child’s room with Mayes’s fingerprint on it. Forensic testing also found the victim’s DNA on Mayes.

“This monster preyed on the most vulnerable nine-year-old imaginable,” said Ellis Boyle, US Attorney for the Eastern District of NC. “He exploited his relationship with the family to violate this defenseless innocent child in the most inhuman ways imaginable.”

Mayes faces a mandatory minimum of at least 30 years and up to life in prison.