La Plata, MD – A man who coerced a mentally challenged man to perform oral sex on him was sentenced in Charles County Circuit Court Tuesday, July 7 in La Plata.

Stanley Nesbit Newman, 59 of Indian Head, was sentenced to 20 years in the Maryland Department of Corrections with all suspended but 10 years under a plea agreement.

Charles County Assistant State’s Attorney Jeremy Widder said that Newman was accepting the plea agreement for a second-degree sex offense and said while the guidelines required 18 to 20 years of incarceration, under the plea agreement the court would impose no more than 10 years.

Widder noted that while Newman was in treatment for his own schizophrenia, he met the 23-year-old victim who suffered a traumatic brain injury.

“By description, this is an individual who lives in his own world,” Widder said. “At times, he is unclear what his name is. He is known to everyone in the facility. From all accounts, he is a vulnerable member of our society.

“His mother is a medical doctor,” he added. “She definitely feels that the defendant took advantage of him.”

Widder described how Newman led the victim to a bathroom at the treatment facility Oct. 10, 2013 and had him perform oral sex.

“A staff member walked in and catches him,” Widder stated. “The defendant claimed this happened once before. The victim said it happened three or four times. Mr. Newman is a registered sex offender,” he added.

La Plata, MD – Public defender Reid Owen told the court the sexual act was consensual.
“Mr. Newman suffers from depression, schizophrenia and substance abuse,” Owen said. “He was in this facility because that’s where he belongs, too.”

“He clearly took advantage of this young man,” Widder countered. “The victim can’t consent. The defendant used him for his own gratification.”

“The victim said he was not forced or coerced in any way,” Owen stated. “It was not a predatory action.”

Widder said that Newman knew full well what he was doing.

“He may not be a rocket scientist, but he knows right from wrong,” he stressed.

Newman asked the court if he could be incarcerated at a facility where he could get help.

“Judges have very little control over where you go,” Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West told the defendant. “The facts here from the state are pretty horrible. This crime was committed against one of the most vulnerable members of our society. As far as crimes go, this was pretty awful.”

West sentenced Newman to 20 years, suspending all but 10 years and gave the defendant credit for 377 days already served. He tacked on five years of supervised probation and ordered that Newman undergo a psychiatric evaluation and register as a Tier III sexual offender and as a violent sexual predator.

Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com