A 27-year-old man was found guilty Thursday of luring a developmentally delayed girl into a St. Paul alley and sexually assaulting her in June 2009.

A Ramsey County District Court jury also found aggravating factors that could lead to stiffer penalties for William O. Labon when he is sentenced on Feb. 8.

During opening statements this week, prosecutor Eric Leonard told the jury that Labon was 25 years old and his victim was 14 when he saw her riding a bike, asked whether she wanted to go to a park and then persuaded her to follow him into an alley, where he sexually assaulted her.

The girl pleaded with him to stop, Leonard said.

After the victim went home, her mother found her distraught and took the girl to Children's Hospital, where DNA evidence was taken that later matched DNA samples provided by Labon.

The victim's mother testified that her daughter, who was born premature, battled depression and anxiety prior to the incident and went into a "downward spiral" after the assault. The girl now lives in a treatment facility, the mother said.

Labon, who represented himself during the trial, asked the mother if the girl suffered any setbacks at home.

"No, she did not," the mother replied. "Not until she met you."

Labon's criminal record has included convictions for theft, marijuana possession and domestic assault.

ANTHONY LONETREE