Blog: Sex Crimes

Penalties for fourth degree sexual offense in Maryland

Sep 25, 2020

With the school year in full swing, teachers, administrators and other school employees are likely navigating the school year a little differently. Nonetheless, there still remains a teacher-student relationship whether classes are in person or remote. What a teacher is not expecting during this vastly different school year is allegations of a Sexual offense in the fourth degree According to Maryland criminal code Engaging in sexual contact without the consent...

Netflix star in trouble after allegations of sexting surface

Sep 16, 2020

The star of a Netflix show is under investigation by the FBI for soliciting sex and nude photos from minors, according to USA Today. The criminal investigation is based on allegations brought by 14-year-old twin brothers. Sexting is becoming more and more common and getting more and more people in trouble. Sexting is the sending of nude, suggestive or sexually explicit photos by electronic means, usually by cellphone. While some states have enacted...

Catholic church settles case of priest accused of sexual harassment and misusing money

Aug 25, 2020

The Catholic Church has approved a settlement, including an apology letter from a priest in another state, who was accused of misusing millions in church money and sexually harassing fellow clerics, the Washington Post has reported. This is just the latest in a string of sexual abuse claims over the years made against those who are expected to provide spiritual comfort and advice. Ocean City Police Department detectives in 2009 arrested a 64-year-old suspect...

Maryland police officer arrested for sex crimes

Aug 24, 2020

The Maryland State Police announced the arrest of Prince George’s County police officer who at the time was serving in his Department’s Bureau of Investigation. The officer faces multiples charges, including attempted second degree rape. Police said that the alleged victim came forward with the allegations in late July, saying that she had an encounter with the former officer at her residence. For its part, the Prince George’s County Police have relived the...

Witness reliability can be crucial in a sex crime case

Aug 17, 2020

Being charged with any crime can set you on edge, and for good reason. A criminal conviction can send you to prison and ruin your reputation. This is especially true when the criminal offense involved is a Don’t be afraid to be aggressive Far too often, defendants in these types of cases are scared to fight to protect themselves. They’re afraid of how their aggressive tactics will come across to jurors or...

Sex offender registry basics in Maryland

Jul 23, 2020

There are many unwanted consequences that can stem from sex crimes charges. One potential consequence is the requirement to register with a second offender registry which is something individuals accused of sex crimes should be familiar with. Each state maintains a sex offender registry to monitor those convicted of There are two additional tiers as part of Maryland’s sex offender registry. For tier two sex crimes, which includes distributing or manufacturing child...

Former schoolteacher, who is also a beauty pageant winner, sentenced for sex crimes

Jul 21, 2020

A beauty queen who admitted to exchanging sexual photos with a teenage student when she was working as a schoolteacher has been sentenced to prison. The former Miss Kentucky was sentenced to two years in jail. She was also sentenced to an additional 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender for life. She pleaded guilty to one count of possessing material depicting minors in sexually explicit conduct in...

Maryland man convicted of sex crimes persuades court that sentence was illegal

Jul 16, 2020

A Maryland man convicted of the sexual abuse of a minor and sentenced to 50 years in jail recently convinced an appeals court that his sentence was illegal, although the convictions were upheld. The plaintiff was convicted by a jury in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County after a two-day trial for the sexual abuse of his 11-year-old stepdaughter, including rape. After a two-day trial in 2010, the jury convicted him of the sexual...

Can someone convicted of a Maryland sex crime obtain a passport?

Jun 23, 2020

When Jeffrey Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges upon coming back to the United States from Paris, a local television station reported that one of its viewers asked if registered sex offenders are allowed to have passports. Yes. You can get a passport if you are a Maryland sex offender and you can keep your passport if you are a Maryland registered sex offender. However, in both instances, the passport will carry a...

Sex Offenses in Maryland

Jun 16, 2020

The classification of sex crimes in Maryland is complicated, Rape is divided into two categories or degrees. The word “rape” is most often used to describe an unwanted sex act. However, modern day laws also use terms such as “sexual offense” and “sexual assault” to describe unwanted sex acts that do not include vaginal intercourse but include unwanted touching. Other sex offenses are divided into four classes or four degrees of offensive...