Maryland Man Charged With Stalking After Two Teen Girls Reported He Followed Them
A Maryland man has been arrested and charged after two teen girls accused him of stalking them. The 42-year-old man is currently facing charges of stalking, fourth-degree sex offense, and other related charges. He has since been taken into custody.
The investigation began in February after the Charles County Sheriff’s Office received a report from two teen girls who said the man drove up to them in his car and asked if they wanted to smoke. He reportedly told the teen girls to get into his car. The girls refused and ran away from the man but he approached them again. He later fled after the girls snapped a photo of his license plate.
Officers on patrol responded to the complaint and later found the man in his car. At that time, no criminal charges were filed against the man but he was subsequently linked to similar incidents and a sex offense involving an adult woman. On March 22, the defendant was indicted by a grand jury, and an arrest warrant was issued. A judge has since ordered the man held without bond at the Charles County Detention Center. Detectives are currently asking anyone who was approached by the individual to submit a report.
Stalking laws in the State of Maryland
The rules regarding stalking in Maryland focus not on any one specific act, but rather on a “course of conduct” that leaves the victim in fear of being harmed in various ways. A “course of conduct” is defined as a pattern of behavior occurring through a series of acts over time that indicates a consistent and continuous purpose.
Section 3-802(c) makes it a crime for any individual to:
- Undertake a pernicious or evil-minded course of conduct
- That includes pursuing and/or approaching the victim
- Where the perpetrator’s goal is to place
- The victim in reasonable fear of any of the following:
- Fear of serious bodily injury
- Fear of assault
- Fear of rape, attempted rape, or any sexual offense
- Fear of imprisonment
- Fear of death
- Or fear that a third person may suffer any of the above-listed acts
Under Maryland law, those convicted of a stalking offense face a misdemeanor punishable by up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000. In this case, the defendant is charged with multiple crimes. Police said that he pursued the girls and left them in fear of being assaulted. A sentence for stalking can be consecutive or concurrent with sentences from other crimes for which he is charged. Since the crime of stalking requires the defendant to commit a series of acts, the law can charge the defendant for the series of acts and the charge of stalking together. The law may then attach the stalking sentence to the end of any sentence handed down by the court for other crimes. So, this defendant could be facing a substantial amount of time in prison.
Talk to a Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney Today
The Bel Air criminal defense lawyers at Schlaich & Thompson, Chartered represent the interests of those charged with various sex crimes. Call our office today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your defense strategy immediately.
Source:
fox5dc.com/news/maryland-man-charged-with-stalking-sex-offense-after-teen-girls-make-allegations
