The attorney for a young woman on Staten Island accused of rape insists that her alleged 13-year-old victim is lying. Megan Donovan, a 20-year-old day care worker, was swiftly arrested early Wednesday morning after allegedly having sex with an unidentified 13-year-old the night before. Sources tell the Staten Island Advance that Donovan knew the boy's sister, and that the two had "struck up a romance" that was consensually consummated Tuesday night at the boy's home, while his mother was out. His mom, as it happens, was indicted for perjury last year for allegedly lying to help a man accused of rape.
Police say they have obtained text messages between the boy and Donovan discussing the act, and sources say the kid's mother learned about the encounter after her son bragged about it to his friends. Gothamist also obtained screenshots of Donovan's Facebook page, and on the night of the encounter, she wrote on her wall via iPhone at 5:05 p.m., "that's why you always wear a condom, a dick goes in and a dick comes out’ lmao." An hour later, she wrote, "Wastin time, steady tryna get you back, get you back in my life. ☺" (A Chris Brown lyric.)
According to court papers, the alleged rape occurred later, at 9:15 p.m. But Donovan's lawyer insists the teen fabricated the encounter, and denies the two sent text message about the encounter. "This kid had a crush on my client," attorney Mark Geisser says. "He was the one texting her, saying next time you come bring a condom. They never even touched each other. But he's trying to boast to people that he's seeing this woman. I guess he had some child fantasy. And his mother has quite a history. She's the one who came forward.
"I hope you guys cover the dismissal of this case as much as you're covering the arrest. I know these stories fade into oblivion within hours when the next story blows up. The big picture here is that if you scratch the surface, it stinks. Unfortunately, this is following my client. She comes from a very different background than these people. I've seen people's lives get run over hot coals when they step in garbage."
Geisser explains that Donovan is friends with the family, and confirmed that she was at the boy's house Tuesday night. "She left with the boy's sister," says Geisser. "There were many people at the house. But I'm kind of shocked that the prosecutor's office would skew any evidence they had and make it seem like my client was the one sending text messages to him when he was the one sending text messages to her, if that's what they're doing.
"I think what you have here is a 13-year-old who's trying to look like he's having sex with someone who he isn't, and his mother reacts, whether she believes it or not. But I don't suspect that her motivations are maternal. Her history is so crazy that the hair on the back of your neck goes up and you say, 'My God.' "
But the boy's mother's lawyer, Louis E. Diamond (awesome website!), tells us, "People should keep in mind Donovan is a woman, not a 13-year-old. A lot happens between 13 and 20 or 21." Diamond also told us, "This seems to be the year I've gotten a lot of pedophile cases. People who do this at a young age probably themselves were abused in the past. And they don't even know it. I had a guy who was a former law enforcement accused of doing something to a 14-year-old; he went to therapy and remembered being molested at summer camp. I'm sure this woman's family would like to see her get help, but her victim also needs help. He's now scarred for life."
Asked if the mother's perjury indictment could shed doubt on the allegations against Donovan, Diamond told us, "I don't think this has anything to do with the mother's lack of trust. It's the victim that counts." Donovan faces charges of second-degree rape, sexual misconduct and endangering the welfare of a child; if convicted she could spend up to four years in prison and would have to become a registered sex offender.
