A New Hampshire man convicted of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl was attacked by a fellow prisoner during his sentencing.
Christopher Elwell, 29, sat in court Thursday after being sentenced to seven to 15 years in prison when a shackled inmate head-butted him several times, WMUR reported.
The inmate, Josiah Davies, likely attacked Elwell after learning details of his case, Assistant Strafford County Attorney Emily Conant told the station. Davies was awaiting a hearing on a probation violation.
Elwell, who was already a convicted sex offender at the time, assaulted the child in June while staying at an apartment with his 9-year-old daughter and another 4-year-old girl. While in a room with the three girls, Elwell watched pornography on his phone and told police the 4-year-old wanted to imitate the sex acts she saw with him.
The child told her mother the following morning, who then went to police.
The victim’s mother told Conant she wished Elwell had been given a longer sentence, but Elwell accepted a plea deal that saved the child from having to relive her assault in court.
The courtroom attack is being investigated by the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office.