By Tiffany Williams –
David Ouellette walked into a Rhode Island courtroom last week with his freedom hanging by a thread. By the end of a five-day trial, a jury made sure he’d never get it back.
The 65-year-old predator was convicted September 12 of seven counts of first-degree child molestation after jurors heard the sickening details of how he preyed on a young girl he knew and violated her trust for years. The guilty verdict came down in Kent County Superior Court before Justice Brian Van Couyghen, who ordered Ouellette held without bail until his sentencing in November.
Prosecutors laid out a damning timeline: between 1998 and 2002, Ouellette repeatedly molested a juvenile victim. The victim, now an adult, testified to years of trauma and manipulation. Her courage to relive that horror on the stand ultimately sealed Ouellette’s fate.
Attorney General Peter Neronha didn’t hold back in slamming the defendant, calling him a dangerous abuser who robbed a child of her innocence. “Every child deserves to grow up in a safe and secure environment,” Neronha said after the verdict. “This victim demonstrated immense courage that allowed us to finally pursue justice for the years of trauma she endured at the hands of a trusted adult. By supporting every victim and empowering them to come forward, we make our communities safer, one case at a time.”
The case ripped open decades-old wounds in Coventry, where Ouellette was known in the community and carried the appearance of a regular, ordinary adult. Behind closed doors, prosecutors said, he carried out some of the most heinous crimes in the state’s penal code. First-degree child molestation is one of the toughest charges in Rhode Island law, and seven guilty counts means Ouellette could be staring down a prison sentence that guarantees he’ll never see life outside a cell again.
The conviction wasn’t easy to secure. Prosecutors had to bring a jury into the world of crimes committed more than two decades ago, with no DNA, no recent forensics, and only the testimony of the survivor and corroborating witnesses. But in the end, it was the survivor’s testimony that cut through every defense argument, painting a picture so vivid and credible that the jury had little choice but to believe her.
Coventry police worked hand-in-hand with state investigators to track down witnesses, reconstruct timelines, and build a case sturdy enough to withstand trial. Their work — combined with the victim’s strength — kept Ouellette from slipping through the cracks of justice like so many abusers from past decades.
Sentencing is set for November 21. That’s when the victim will finally get to look across the courtroom and see the man who stole her childhood face the punishment he spent years dodging.
For Ouellette, there’s no escape. For the victim, there’s finally justice.