Sherman Kelly, Jr. (booking photo)LA PLATA, Md. (Dec. 13, 2019)—Tony Covington, State's Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, December 13, 2019, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Sherman Kelly, Jr., 40 of Waldorf, to 43 years in prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor, Third-Degree Sex Offense, and two counts of Production of Child Pornography.
On July 2, 2019, Kelly entered a guilty plea to the above listed charges in Charles County Circuit Court.
On December 20, 2018, officers made contact with the victim and her mother after receiving a report of an assault. The then 14-year-old victim reported that Kelly had repeatedly sexually assaulted her over the span of approximately six months. The last assault occurred the prior day when Kelly had sexual intercourse with her inside of her Waldorf residence. The victim disclosed the assaults to her mother during the early morning hours of December 20; her mother then contacted the police.
During the course of the investigation, pictures were discovered of the victim in a state of undress from a camera that Kelly placed inside of the victim's bathroom.
It was also revealed that Kelly sexually assaulted a 12-year-old relative of the victim. On several occasions, Kelly had the 12-year-old victim perform sexual acts in exchange for cell phone usage.
Before sentencing Kelly, Judge West addressed the defendant, "these two girls have been through things that no one [their age] should go through. When you're fourteen and twelve, you are more vulnerable. [The victims were] in a position where the person abusing [them] is also the person who is supposed to protect [them]. I imagine that's confusing. You, for a large portion of their lives, were the biggest danger to them and the world is dangerous enough."