CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Editor's note: The video above originally aired in July 2019, when the crime was first reported
Jordan Douglas will potentially spend more than three decades behind bars after a jury found him guilty of an early morning sexual assault that unfolded in 2019.
According to a news release from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg District Attorney's Office, Douglas was found guilty by a jury after 11 days in the courtroom. Douglas was originally accused of sexually assaulting a woman early in the morning of July 5, 2019, while she was walking with a friend. The DA's office confirmed the woman he assaulted testified in the Mecklenburg County Superior Court.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Police: Victim sexually assaulted while walking with another woman in uptown
Douglas, who was 21 at the time of the assault, robbed both women at 4 p.m. that day near a construction site at West 6th Street near West 5th Street according to the news release. The DA's office said he demanded the women's backpacks from them before knocking one woman to the ground. He placed that woman in a chokehold and held his gun to her head, but then fired at the other woman. He missed, but the DA's office said he didn't let up.
Douglas then forced the woman he knocked down into a construction site and started sexually assaulting her, but the woman's friend slammed a piece of rebar on his head. Douglas fell and the woman was able to escape.
Amidst the assault, someone had heard the women's screams and Douglas' gunfire, calling 911. Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded and took him into custody after a brief foot chase.
Douglas, who is now 23, was found guilty of committing a 1st-degree sex offense, 1st-degree kidnapping, robbery with a dangerous weapon, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill, and resisting a public officer. He will now spend anywhere from 25 to 36 years in prison, and upon release will be required to register as a sex offender for 30 years. At the minimum, Douglas will be around 45 years old when released and will need to stay registered until age 75. Should he spend a full 36 years in prison, however, he will be released closer to age 59 and stay on the offenders' registry until he's 89 years old.
Note: WCNC instituted a new policy in March 2021 regarding the broadcast or posting of mugshots.
WCNC will only air or post a mugshot if the person has been formally charged with a crime and in a few other cases. The exceptions include: If it appears the person could be a danger to themselves or others or if they are wanted by authorities; to differentiate between people with a common name; if the photos could encourage more victims to come forward. The news-editorial leadership may also decide to use a mugshot based on the severity of the crime(s) committed and/or the level of public interest in the crime and ensuing criminal proceedings.
Because Douglas is convicted, was previously charged with said offenses, and because previous coverage examined the public nature and severity of the crime, his mugshot is used.