A Man Is on Trial for Sexually Assaulting a Bridesmaid Days Before His Wedding

Update: A man accused of sexually assaulting a bridesmaid in his wedding, just days before the ceremony, was found guilty of attempted sexual assault, simple assault, indecent assault, and aggravated indecent assault late Thursday night. He was acquitted of an attempted rape charge.

Two days before Daniel Carney’s 2019 wedding, a bridesmaid in his wedding party woke up to Carney on top of her in a Pennsylvania inn’s locker room—right before Carney’s then-fiancé walked in and started screaming, the bridesmaid later told police.

Carney and his fiancé got married anyway.

Carney is now in the midst of a trial over what happened in that locker room. He has been charged with multiple counts connected to sexual assault, including attempted rape.

On Tuesday, the maid of honor testified about a rafting trip undertaken by the wedding party,  where the maid of honor said Carney and his friends asked the bridesmaid to flash people for free beer, according to local news outlet WNEP. After the trip, Carney and the bridesmaid, who was heavily intoxicated, seemingly disappeared—until Carney’s fiancé found them in the shower, came back out, told the bridesmaid what she saw, and collapsed, the maid of honor testified.

The maid of honor also said she told the bride-to-be to call off the wedding. 

The day after the wedding, the bridesmaid went to the police, Morning Call reported. The woman told police that she had been drinking the day of the rafting trip and had difficulty remembering what, exactly, had happened. But she recalled waking up to Carney grabbing and biting her, and then waking up again with her bikini bottoms off and Carney on top of her. 

Do you know anything about this incident? If so, please email Carter Sherman at carter.sherman@vice.com.

Police found security footage from the inn, which showed Carney pulling the bridesmaid into the locker room, according to Morning Call. Carney initially told police that he felt the bridesmaid had “taken advantage” of him, then admitted to them that he had pulled her into the room.

On the wedding day, Carney texted the bridesmaid and apologized, saying he was happy to marry the bride-to-be, WNEP reported. He also begged the bridesmaid to take the “morning after” pill. 

“We never did do it but would you consider taking plan b to make damn certain just in case?” Carney asked, the Washington Post reported in 2019. “There is almost no chance but still. Please tell me yes I’m begging you. 

During the trial, a local nurse and doctor testified that they had seen bruises all over the bridesmaid’s body, although the defense has argued that those bruises could have stemmed from the rafting trip, WNEP reported. The prosecution is expected to rest Wednesday.