A Norfolk jury found 57-year-old David Wayne Shourds guilty of aggravated sexual battery and four counts of object sexual penetration against the 18-year-old woman who was under his legal guardianship. The jury returned its verdict in August 2026, more than a year after the February 14, 2025, incident.
A Night That Turned Into an Assault
Shourds was the victim’s legal guardian at the time, according to officials. As reported by 13News Now, he prepared rum-filled piña coladas for her while she played video games in her bedroom. She drank about half of two drinks, declined a third, and began feeling tired and dizzy. Officials said Shourds had not consumed alcohol that night.
The station reported that Shourds wrestled with the victim in her bedroom and sexually assaulted her as she began to fall asleep. It also reported that he denied raping her. The victim later contacted a friend, who notified Norfolk police; Shourds was arrested the same day.
Trial and Verdict
Shourds pleaded not guilty and chose a jury trial. The Commonwealth brought one count of forcible sodomy, four counts of object sexual penetration and one count of aggravated sexual battery. The three-day trial took place in August 2026. The victim testified that she has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, emotional distress and recurring nightmares since the assault.
The jury convicted Shourds of aggravated sexual battery and all four object sexual penetration counts, while acquitting him of forcible sodomy, according to officials cited in the station’s report.
Prosecutors Vow to Seek Prison Time
Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said the victim’s age did not mean she could not be vulnerable, particularly given her dependence on a legal guardian. He said prosecutors would seek a prison sentence to protect her and the community, according to the station’s report.
Legal penalties and broader context
Virginia law authorizes a prison term of one to 20 years and a fine of up to $100,000 for aggravated sexual battery, according to the Virginia Code. The verified statutory information here does not establish the elements or penalty for object sexual penetration, or whether a guardian relationship changes sentencing. A Bureau of Justice Statistics analysis of sexual assaults reported to NIBRS in 17 states in 2019 found that most recorded assaults involved someone the victim knew. That national finding does not establish a local pattern in Norfolk or explain this case.
Shourds is scheduled to be sentenced on February 5, 2027. He remains convicted on five counts stemming from the February 2025 incident as he awaits sentencing.
