A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted a former state hospital patient of raping a 14-year-old girl in 2008 while she was a participant in a summer volunteer program at the hospital, District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

VERNON THOMPSON (D.O.B. 1/28/70), a former patient at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, was convicted of two counts of rape of a child for bringing the victim to a stairwell in one of the hospital’s buildings and raping her. Sentencing is scheduled to take place Thurs., July 22 at 2 p.m. The maximum sentence for rape of a child is life in prison.

“Throughout her ordeal, the young woman in this case has displayed courage and great resilience,” Conley said. “She defied her fears and confronted her abuser in open court, possibly saving another young girl from victimization.”

During the course of the trial, Assistant District Attorney Leora Joseph proved that Thompson approached the victim on the hospital grounds on her first day working as a volunteer. He asked her for her phone number. Unsure of what to do, the girl gave it to him.

The defendant began calling her repeatedly. Although she did not answer his calls, she encountered him again a few days later in a personnel building. Thompson put his arm around the girl and guided her to a stairwell away from the view of surveillance cameras.

Joseph proved that it was in that area of the hospital where Thompson raped the victim. An employee at the hospital happened upon the assault and told them to separate.

Following the assault, Thompson asked the victim again for her phone number.

The victim stopped working as a volunteer at the hospital. She later disclosed the rape to a family member. After reporting the rape, she was transported to an area hospital, where Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Leverett Circle Barracks responded to interview her and launch their investigation.

After conducting multiple interviews, they obtained a complaint against Thompson in West Roxbury District Court.

The State Police investigation was bolstered by an extensive investigation behind the closed doors of the Suffolk County Grand Jury.

Jillian Quigley is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Thompson is represented by attorney Joan Stanley. Judge Raymond Brassard presided in courtroom 815.