Carlos Deangelo Bell of Waldorf, Md.LA PLATA, Md. (Oct. 23, 2017)—Tony Covington, State's Attorney for Charles County, Maryland, in conjunction with Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry and Superintendent of Charles County Public Schools Dr. Kimberly Hill, advises that on Friday, October 20, 2017, the Grand Jury for Charles County returned a 206 count indictment for Carlos Deangelo Bell of Waldorf. This third indictment against Bell includes the previous allegations found in two prior indictments filed on June 30, 2017 and July 28, 2017, as well as charges for additional victims uncovered during the ongoing investigation.
The 206 count indictment covers 28 identified alleged victims and 14 unidentified alleged victims. The time frame of the alleged conduct spans approximately 2 years from May of 2015 through June of 2017. The ages of the alleged victims at the time the offenses were committed range from 11 years old to 17 years old.
In open Court today, Bell was served with this latest indictment and served with the State's notice that, if he is convicted of certain crimes alleged in the indictment, the State will be seeking a life sentence. Bell is still being held without bond. Trial on these charges is scheduled for January 8, 2018.
At this time, the State is not aware of any alleged victim having tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus. Previous reporting to the contrary made by certain media outlets was inaccurate.
The investigation into Carlos Bell's activities is still ongoing. The Sheriff's Office continues the effort to identify any and all alleged victims in this matter. The State's Attorney's Office strongly encourages parents/guardians to speak with any child that may have had contact with Carlos Bell and immediately report any relevant information to the Sheriff's Office.
The following is a table summarizing the latest indictment. The table lists the 11 categories of crimes charged, how many counts for each category of crime and the maximum penalty for each category of crime.
Charge; Number of Counts; Max Sentence Per Count
Sexual Abuse of a Minor; 22 counts; up to 25 years
Second Degree Sex Offense—Force; 19 counts; up to 20 years
Second Degree Sex Offences—Age; 19 counts; up to 20 years
Third Degree Sex Offense; 7 counts; up to 10 years
Second Degree Assault; 3 counts; up to 10 years and/or $2,500 fine
Child Pornography—Filming; 97 counts; up to 10 years and/or $25,000 fine
Solicitation of a Minor; 6 counts; up to 10 years and/or $25,000 fine
Displaying Obscene Item to Minor; 13 counts; up to 1 year and/or $1,000 fine
Attempted Transfer of HIV; 5 counts; up to 3 years and/or $2,500 fine
Contributing to Delinquency Minor; 8 counts; up to 3 years and/or $2,500 fine
Distribution of Marijuana; 7 counts; up to 5 years and/or $15,000 fine
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