Allegations of child sexual abuse are very serious. Those who are charged may lose their jobs, their family and their freedom. A Baltimore man learned just how serious such charges can be when he was recently sentenced to serve what amounts to the rest of his life in prison.
The charges came after a young Baltimore woman turned 18. At that time, she reported to authorities that her adopted mother’s boyfriend had repeatedly molested her beginning when she was 13 years old. The woman claimed the molestation continued until she was 17. The man who she alleged committed the acts of molestation had lived with the young woman and her mother.
During the period of time that the molestation occurred, which included allegations of rape, the young woman claimed she became pregnant on two separate occasions. The first pregnancy occurred when she was just 14 and the second one when she was about 16 or 17. According to the victim, the man personally took her to get abortions.
At the age of 5, the young woman was taken from her biological mother and placed in foster care. For the next two years, she lived in several different homes until she was adopted. She claimed that she did not report the molestation until she was 18 because she feared being returned to foster care.
The 49-year-old man in question was convicted in June on five counts of sexually abusing a child. He was recently sentenced to a 100-year prison term.
As this case demonstrates, the consequences of a conviction for child sexual abuse are life-changing and extremely harsh. An experienced Maryland attorney who defends sex crimes on a regular basis can evaluate all the relevant facts involved in the allegations and attempt to resolve the case in the best possible way.
Source: CBS Baltimore, “Man Sentenced To 100 Years For Repeated Molestation Of Girlfriend’s Daughter,” Jan. 24, 2014