Andrey Desmond entered three guilty pleas on Tuesday afternoon in connection to an attack on State Rep. Maryam Khan as she was leaving a prayer service at the XL Center in Hartford in June 2023.
“At this point, Representative Khan needs some time to just process this,” Rep. Khan’s attorney Aaron Romano said after Tuesday's court proceedings.
Under the plea agreement, Desmond will spend five years behind bars and 16 years on special parole. Romano spoke on behalf of his client in the courtroom and said Rep. Khan is disappointed in the sentence.
“She feels as there should be an increased amount of incarceration to ensure that Mr. Desmond understands the nature of his actions, and also to protect the community,” Romano said.
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Desmond pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault in the third degree, risk of injury to a child, and strangulation. He will be required to get mental health treatment and register as a sex offender.
“If you fail to do that, or if you engage in new criminal conduct, you could be ordered to serve that additional 16 years,” the judge said.
Desmond asked to make an apology to Rep. Khan who was sitting in the courtroom but was advised for legal reasons to wait until his sentencing day.
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“I will restrain my comment until then,” Desmond said.
Since the attack, Rep. Khan has criticized the Hartford Police Department on their response that day in June and said investigators left out key information in the incident report.
The police union has pushed back after an investigation found no wrongdoing and asked Rep. Khan for an apology.
Rep. Khan initially said she would make a comment after the plea hearing Tuesday, but a spokesperson said there was a last-minute change in her schedule.
Desmond will be sentenced on June 4.
