While one accused Jefferson County pedophile earned a life’s sentence for his felonious behavior Dec. 2, another saw his case dismissed Dec. 7 after the complaining witness for the prosecution failed to appear.
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office dismissed its indecency with a child case against Nathaniel Jones Darbonne, 39, after the victim couldn’t – or wouldn’t – show up for the trial.
“She has been out of town and either cannot or will not be here for this trial,” offered a “frustrated” Pam French, the prosecuting attorney. “The state is extremely disappointed. We’re going to dismiss the case.”
According to a probable cause affidavit detailing Darbonne alleged misdeed, “A juvenile victim, a 16-year-old black girl, made an outcry to several relatives that she was the victim of a sexually based criminal offense. On April 28, 2020, the juvenile’s mother made an offense report with BPD for indecency with a child.”
The offense occurred two days earlier, the child said, when her cousin’s husband – Darbonne – approached her while she was texting a friend. He asked if she was discussing porn with her friend – to which she responded, “No.”
The man then allegedly showed the 13-year-old girl pornography on his phone, preventing the victim from shielding her eyes.
Darbonne is reported to have told the victim that she “was going to have to learn how to do this (the sex acts portrayed on the pornographic video) someday, so she might as well learn it now.”
The victim stated Darbonne left his phone with her while he went to the restroom, later asking her to bring it to him there. In doing so, she witnessed the defendant standing over the toilet with his pants down, masturbating. She said the defendant told her that he was sorry, it wouldn’t happen again, instructing her not to tell anyone.
Criminal District Court Judge John Stevens dismissed Darbonne’s trial at about 10:30 a.m. Dec. 7, a day after it was planned to begin, saying, “Evil wins out when good people stand by and don’t pick up the hose and fight the fire.”
“This case … is unusual, and I’m not really clear about it, myself,” Stevens said. “This is an unusual thing. I’ve tried cases for 40 years, and it’s unusual that something like this happens under these circumstances, but that’s all I’m gonna say. It’s just unusual … it’s unusual.”