An East Baltimore man will serve seven years in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a case that raised questions about the constitutional rights of people who are incarcerated while awaiting trial.
In February, Dwayne Elliott’s attorney, Natalie Finegar, asked a judge to throw out the charges against him after correctional officers searched his cell at the Baltimore Central Booking & Intake Center, removed legal documents about the case and handed them over to prosecutors.
As a result, Baltimore Circuit Judge Yolanda Tanner in June disqualified the entire Baltimore Office of the State’s Attorney from handling the prosecution. But she declined to throw out the charges, and prosecutors from Harford County took over the case.
On Tuesday, Elliott, 58, of Oliver, pleaded guilty to third-degree sex offense for victimizing the teen in July 2025. He also must spend five years on supervised probation and register as a sex offender for 25 years.
The girl testified that as a result of the crime, she’s been traumatized for the rest of her life and told the court, “Dwayne Elliott took away my childhood.”
The Banner does not identify survivors of sex crimes without their permission.
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