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Derrick Jones, 54, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison after admitting earlier this year to masturbating in public near Bancroft Elementary School in Mt. Pleasant, and then making aggressive threats towards neighbors who implored him to stop.
According to court documents, on April 3, Jones was caught by a neighbor pleasuring himself outside their apartment building, which is a block away from the school.
The neighbor - who was with her 11-year-old son at the time - tried to record Jones, as “this was a routine occurrence during the hours when children were walking to and from school,” officials said.
When he saw his neighbor attempting to take the video, Jones marched across the street and threatened to kill their family and dog for recording him.
Days later on April 6, a woman was dropping her nephew at the elementary school when Jones was again caught in the act masturbating, though in this instance, he made eye contact with the woman and continued his behavior.
Jones was also caught on April 12 and April 13, while children were walking to school.
On April 13, a Bancroft Elementary school crossing guard spotted Jones, and while another colleague ushered kids to the opposite side of the street out of view, the crossing guard approached Jones and asked him to stop.
Jones responded by loudly threatening to “blow y’all up” before going inside and returning with a black duffel bag.
Not knowing what was in the bag, the crossing guard became even more alarmed and police officers in the area were flagged down and Jones was taken into custody.
Jones later admitted to exposing himself and masturbating in front of an 11-year-old girl who lived in a neighboring apartment.
Prosecutors noted that Jones had three prior convictions for lewd, indecent, or obscene acts in DC.
Jones pleaded guilty int he Superior Court of the District of Columbia to eight separate counts in the two cases:
- Two counts of attempted threat;
- Making threats;
- Two counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child with aggravated circumstances;
- Three counts of lewd, indecent, or obscene acts.
When he is released, Jones will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life wherever he lives, works, or studies.
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