Andrew Thomas Dawson, 27, of Conover, will serve an active prison sentence of nine to 21 years following his conviction for sexual offenses during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday, August 21, 2023.
The Honorable Peter Knight, Superior Court Judge from Henderson County, imposed the terms of the plea arrangement after Dawson entered his guilty plea to second-degree sexual offense and attempted second-degree rape.
The defendant will serve his period of incarceration in the custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections. He also will have to register as a sex offender for 30 years.
On April 22, 2022, the female victim was working at a hotel when the defendant came into a room she was cleaning and assaulted her.
As the physical struggle ensued, Dawson started to sexually assault the victim, who tried multiple times to call 911 for help. When he realized the victim’s 911 call finally went through, the defendant left the room, got into a car and drove away.
The victim said she saw the defendant leaning on a railing prior to going into the room to clean. Security camera footage reviewed by investigators from Hickory Police Department confirmed his activity outside the room where the sexual assault took place.
The case was investigated by Tammy Johnson of Hickory Police Department. Assistant District Attorney Nancy Lee handled prosecution for the State with aid from Legal Assistant Amy Bishoff.