A sexual predator, James Morris, has been sentenced to four terms of life in prison plus an additional 20 years for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman while forcing her 16-year-old boyfriend to watch.
In July 2023, Morris approached the couple who were sitting on a bench at Civic Center Park in Scottsdale late at night. He accused the young woman of being a pregnant prostitute who owed him money. The couple said they were afraid and gave him money to try to get him to leave, but he wouldn’t go away.
Morris then threatened the couple and sexually assaulted the woman. Before Morris left, he stole the woman’s ring, necklace, and bracelet.
The couple gave detectives a description of the perpetrator. Scottsdale Police identified Morris as the suspect based on previous encounters. He was arrested the same day as the assault, still wearing boxers stained with the woman’s blood. Testing also showed that DNA found on the victim belonged to the defendant.
A jury convicted Morris of the following:
- four counts of Sexual Assault, a Class Two Felony
- two counts of Sexual Abuse, a Class Five Felony
- one count of Robbery, a Class Four Felony.
Morris was also sentenced to life in prison for stabbing a woman in a Glendale park the month prior. The woman survived. In that case, a jury convicted him of one count of Aggravated Assault, a Class Three Dangerous Felony.
“This defendant preyed on young, vulnerable victims who will have to live with this trauma for the rest of their lives,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
Such a drag on society