Michael Hilliard, 65, Serial Sex Offender Indicted For New Felony Offense

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Defendant Has Three or More Prior Convictions for Misdemeanor Sexual Abuse

            WASHINGTON – Michael Hilliard, 65, of no fixed address, was indicted today by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury on four felony accounts.  Specifically, he is charged with two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, felony offenses for forced sexual contacts, and two counts of enhanced misdemeanor sexual abuse, now also a felony, for engaging in a sexual contact within the victim’s permission having three or more prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse.  The charges are in connection with an allegation that the defendant forcibly sexually touched a treating nurse at George Washington University Hospital, a stranger to him. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Hilliard is detained pending competency proceedings.

            According to charging documents, on September 26, 2024, the victim attempted to draw blood from Hilliard while he sat inside of a hospital room. Hilliard requested to sit on the bed to get his blood drawn. As the nurse attempted to adjust the bed rail, Hilliard grabbed her into a face-to-face bear hug. Having wrapped his arms around her, Hillard then reached down to grope her on her buttocks and genitalia.

            Hilliard has more than three prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse. His most recent conviction occurred on December 19, 2023, when he was convicted of misdemeanor sexual abuse for sexually abusing a female stranger.

            Hilliard is the first individual indicted with enhanced misdemeanor sexual abuse, a felony created by the D.C. Council’s Secure D.C. Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024. Prior to the legislation going into effect, repeat offenders who committed sexual contacts or sexual acts when the offender knew or should have known the victim did not give permission for such contact/act, could not be charged with a felony, no matter how many times they were prosecuted, often for virtually identical misdemeanor sexual abuse conduct.  The new felony offense of enhanced misdemeanor sexual abuse is chargeable if the defendant has three or more prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Houck. 

            An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.