Providence Man Found Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting Woman At Gunpoint

PROVIDENCE, RI — A Providence man was convicted Friday after he sexually assaulted a woman at gunpoint in 2018, Attorney General Peter Neronha said Wednesday.

Following a three-day trial before Superior Court Justice Stephen Nugent, a jury found William Gilbert, 43, guilty of first-degree sexual assault.

"I won't waste time discussing the defendant; the guilty verdict speaks for itself," Neronha said. "I am grateful that this victim was heard and justice was served. The more we collectively provide avenues for victims to come forward and feel supported, the better off we will be as a community. Thank you to the Providence Police Department for their exceptional work and partnership in this case and many others."

State prosecutors proved that between Aug. 1, 2018, and Sept. 1, 2018, Gilbert sexually assaulted a woman he knew in a car in Providence.

In February 2020, Providence police learned about the sexual assault. On the night of the assault, Gilbert took the victim to India Point Park to buy marijuana. After leaving the park, Gilbert drove to a nearby area before pulling over, parking the car, and sexually assaulting the victim at gunpoint, prosecutors said.

According to the victim, she told Gilbert's then-roommate about the sexual assault shortly after it took place, which he corroborated when questioned by police in March 2020. The Rhode Island State Police Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Gilbert on April 2, 2020.

Gilbert is being held without bail at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston and will remain there until a sentencing hearing at a later date.