HARTFORD, Conn. — After he was found guilty of second-degree assault, a Hartford man was sentenced to a decade in prison on Thursday, suspended after four years served, according to a release from the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.
Danny Lawhorn, Jr., 33, will be on probation for 10 years after his prison time. He must also register with the Connecticut Sex Offender Registry.
A Hartford Superior Court jury found Lawhorn guilty of sexual assault in the second degree on Sept. 20.
RELATED: Hartford AAU coach facing sexual abuse charges must stay in prison regardless of bond status: Judge
Evidence introduced at trial revealed that, on June 13, 2021, the Hartford Police Department was dispatched to a hotel for a reported sexual assault. Prosecutors say the victim was an international basketball player who was being hosted and coached by Lawhorn.
At the time, Lawhorn was a coach and manager for a local AAU basketball league.
According to prosecutors, the victim said that on that night, Lawhorn sent her a text asking her to come to his room to help with stretching after practice. The victim says Lawhorn sexually assaulted her in the room.
Prosecutors say the victim was able to leave the scene with help from a family member. When she was at a safe location, hotel staff helped her call the police.
Lawhorn was arrested on sight by Hartford police later that morning. Lawhorn was also reportedly in possession of crack cocaine, packaged for sale. He pleaded guilty to federal felony drug charges in U.S. District Court and was later sentenced, prosecutors say.
State’s Attorney Sharmese Walcott commended the Hartford police officers for being responsive at the time of the incident and for the entirety of the trial.
“Hartford police did a wonderful job responding to a prompt report and quickly unfolding investigation,” Walcott said.
She added that the case highlights her office’s commitment to prosecuting cases of sexual assault that happen within the Hartford Judicial District.
“This victim in this case has endured many accusations against her character and credibility and in the end, she told the judge, ‘I am not broken,’ and went on to list her many accomplishments since this incident,” Walcott said. “Assistant State’s Attorney Clark and I are thankful to have been able to bring justice to a youth who had her innocence taken, without her consent.”
----
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
----
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
