Man gets life sentence for sexual assault at Scottsdale park

Man who raped teen and forced her boyfriend to watch gets sentenced to life

A 49-year-old man was given four life sentences for sexually assaulting a teen girl in 2023 at a Scottsdale park, and forcing her boyfriend to watch.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A man was sentenced to four life terms in prison for raping a woman at a Scottsdale park and forcing her boyfriend to watch.

What we know:

James Morris, 49, will spend the rest of his life in prison, plus an additional 20 years, for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman while forcing her 16-year-old boyfriend to watch, according to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.

The backstory:

In July 2023, the suspect approached the couple who were sitting on a bench at Civic Center Park in Scottsdale late at night. 

He accused the woman of being a pregnant prostitute who owed him money. The teenage couple said they were afraid and gave him money to try to get him to leave, but he wouldn’t go away.

Morris then threatened the couple and sexually assaulted the woman. Before Morris left, he stole the woman’s ring, necklace and bracelet.

Dig deeper:

After the couple gave detectives a description of the man, Scottsdale Police identified Morris as the suspect based on previous encounters. 

He was arrested the same day as the assault, still wearing boxers stained with the woman’s blood. Testing also showed that DNA found on the victim belonged to Morris.

A jury convicted Morris of four counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual abuse, and one count of robbery.

Morris was also sentenced to life in prison for stabbing a woman, who survived, in a Glendale park the month prior. A jury convicted him of aggravated assault in that case.

What they're saying:

"This defendant preyed on young, vulnerable victims who will have to live with this trauma for the rest of their lives," Mitchell said. "Thanks to Scottsdale Police, Glendale Police, and MCAO prosecutors Maren Evans and Anshika Mehrotra, our community is safer because he will never walk free again."