Two convictions in sexual assault case

Santa Rosa hockey players found guilty

Two California men have been found guilty of sexual assault. Additionally, one of the men was also found guilty of unlawfully capturing the image of a private area of another. Santa Rosa minor-league hockey players 35-year-old Dominic Jones and 34-year-old Moses Matthews were convicted, however 31-year-old Josiah Nikkel was found not guilty.

On February 4, 2022, Reno Police officers were called to Renown Regional Medical Center, following a report of sexual assault. The victim, a 20-year-old woman, told police she had met the defendants the night before at a local restaurant and bar. The woman said she and Matthews returned to his hotel room and engaged in consensual sexual activity. According to the victim, as the evening progressed, Jones and Nikkel returned to the room while she was with Matthews, and Jones forced himself on her with Matthews’ assistance. She alleged that Nikkel also assaulted her.

Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement found that Matthews took a photo of the victim during the consensual sexual activity, but without her consent, and subsequently sent the photo to Nikkel. The woman had undergone a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) examination, which revealed injuries.

During trial, Deputy District Attorney Carrie Morton presented DNA evidence and forensic cellular phone downloads, along with witness testimony supporting the charges. The Honorable Judge Simons presided over the trial. Sentencing is set for July 13^th.