Teen pleads guilty to sexually assaulting multiple women

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington teenager is going to prison for assaulting four women in New Hanover County.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, Jahreese Melquan Jones, 19, of Wilmington, pleaded guilty to second degree sexual offense and three counts of assault on a female.

Jones assaulted the women between October 31, 2015 and November 12, 2015.

Prosecutors say two of the victims chose not to cooperate with the prosecution.

A 17-year-old female reported that Jones physically assaulted her just after 2 p.m. in downtown Wilmington. The victim ran away and reported it to police. Later that day, it was reported Jones assaulted a 31-year-old female in her backyard. Jones asked the woman for directions as she walked with him briefly away from her friends. Jones assaulted her while armed  with a gun. The victim wished to remain anonymous when the reported the assault to police and did not want any involvement with the court system after making the report.

On November 12, a 17-year-old reported a sexual assault by Jones in a stairwell at Cape Fear Community College’s downtown campus. Jones and the victim knew each other. While speaking in the stairwell, Jones put the woman in a choke hold and sexually assaulted her. When police interviewed Jones, he claimed it was consensual. The NC Crime Lab determined DNA taken from the scene matched Jones.

A 21-year-old woman filed a report on December 12, 2015 that Jones had assaulted her on November 4, 2015. She had placed an ad online as a dancer. Jones contacted her and they met, which is when the assault happened. This victim was also not cooperative with the District Attorney’s Office.

Assistant District Attorney Connie Jordan said, “We prosecute perpetrators to hold them accountable for their criminal behavior, while also hoping to give victims of sexual assault a voice in this process.”

Jones will have to serve between 4 1/2 and 10 1/2 years in prison. When released, he will have to register as a sexual offender for 30 years.