Man Sentenced to Prison For Sexually Abusing, Stalking, and Blackmailing Three Victims, Including a Child and a Minor

WASHINGTON - John'Ta Price, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 40 months in prison for the sexual abuse of three deaf victims, including a child and a minor, between 2015 and 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.

Price pleaded guilty on June 18, 2024, to second-degree child sexual abuse, attempted stalking, and attempted blackmail in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun sentenced the defendant on August 23, 2024, to 30 months in prison for the second-degree child sexual abuse, plus 180 days for attempted stalking, plus 120 days for attempted blackmail, all to run consecutively, followed by five years of probation. Price will also be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

According to the government's evidence, between March 1, 2015 and February 20, 2020, Price engaged in a course of conduct to stalk the first victim, who throughout this period was around 13 to 18 years-old. The defendant sent nude videos and pictures on at least 10 different occasions to the victim, despite the victim repeatedly asking him to stop. Price continued his inappropriate behavior when he confronted the victim at her high school and made lude remarks about having sexual intercourse with the victim. While making these remarks, Price touched the victim's shoulder and attempted a hug, but the victim pushed him away. Price then attempted to grab the victim's breast.

In or around November 2021, Price threatened to expose nude pictures of the second victim to the public if the victim did not perform sexual acts on the defendant.

On October 21, 2023, the third victim, a 14-year-old child, was contacted by Price to meet up. The victim subsequently met up with Price at Union Station. Price asked the victim to get inside his vehicle and perform a sexual act on him, which the victim performed after Price's request. Then, after asking to perform a subsequent sexual act on the victim, Price proceeded to perform that sexual act on the victim.

The defendant was arrested December 1, 2023, and was a Gallaudet student at the time. He has been in custody ever since.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney's Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco Crocetti, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit, who investigated and prosecuted the case.