Judge grants plea deal for O’ahu man convicted of sexually assaulting his mother

By ‘A’ali’i Dukelow

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — Jesse Nielsen, the man who was convicted of sexually assaulting his own mother, appeared remorseful during his sentencing at Honolulu Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Nielsen and his 68-year-old mother entered a plea agreement.

“I don’t know what to say other than I wish I had never done that to my mom,” Nielsen said during the hearing. “I’ve been terrible to my mom most of my life.”

While he admits their relationship was rocky, Nielsen said he was close with his mother growing up. Nielsen added he moved into a unit at the Imperial Plaza apartment complex in Kakaako with his mother to “make up for lost time.”

“I was consumed by my own addiction and at a place where I couldn’t follow through on that,” Nielsen said.

Court documents revealed on the night of May 9 of last year, Nielsen demanded sex from his girlfriend, who also lived in the apartment. She refused and left the house.

At the time, Nielsen’s mother was sitting in her wheelchair on the balcony. Nielsen, 28, reportedly pushed her into her bedroom, undressed from the waist down, and insisted she give him oral sex.

The victim then screamed for Nielsen to stop, to which he shoved a cloth in her mouth and left the unit. When Nielsen returned, the two argued and Nielsen reportedly slapped her across the face.

After Honolulu police arrested and booked Nielsen, officers found two small bags of crystal meth on him.

Nielsen’s mother did not attend the sentencing, but his girlfriend did. She declined KITV4’s interview request.

“She (Nielsen’s girlfriend) is here in the gallery, 100% supporting Jesse,” Nielsen’s attorney Jason Say said.

Say argued Nielsen is capable of turning his life around, adding COVID got in the way of Nielsen’s effort to open up his own business. After that, Nielsen got a job at a Ruth’s Chris steak house, but then got addicted to drugs.

“He is extremely remorseful of what transpired although we dispute a lot of the allegations that were made,” Say added.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ayla Weiss pointed out Nielsen’s mother came to grand jury with a mother’s day card addressed to her from him as a testament to his good character when he is not on drugs.

While addressing Nielsen, Weiss said, “truly take advantage of this (the plea deal). If not for yourself, but at least for your mother and the trauma that you put her through in this case and the fact that she wants you to get help.”

At the end of the hearing, Judge Ronald Johnson told Nielsen he considered whether to break the plea deal.

“But hearing that the complainant and others who are involved in the situation don’t want to see that, this will be your one and only chance to prove that you can break this cycle,” Johnson said.

Nielsen was sentenced to a year in prison with credit for time served, as well as five years of probation. He may see his mother if she agrees, but may only reach out through his probation officer.

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