PG County Man Kidnaps, Sexually Assaults 13-Year-Old Girl: DOJ

Editor’s note: The original version of this story featured a headline that incorrectly implied the individual was a member of the Prince George’s County Police Department. The person charged is not employed by the department. We have corrected the headline.

OXON HILL, MD -- An Oxon Hill man who served as a "special police officer" faces seven charges after authorities say he kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.

The DOJ said that a federal grand jury returned an indictment that charged the 21-year-old man -- who was not identified -- with two counts of kidnapping, four counts of sexual abuse, and violation of a protection order. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, and a maximum of life imprisonment with a lifetime sex offender registration.

Authorities declined to identify the defendant because it is an "intra-family offense against a minor victim," the statement reads.

"In 2017, the defendant inappropriately touched the victim’s breasts and tried to further sexually assault her," the statement adds. "As a result, a protection order was signed by a Maryland judge. At that time, the defendant was a special police officer and had recently applied for a position as an armed police officer. That application was rejected because of the pending protection order."

The statement does not indicate who the man worked for.

Prosecutors allege that on Dec. 18, 2018, the defendant waited for the victim to return from school, after which he abducted her from Maryland.

"The defendant forced the victim into his car, handcuffed her, and drove into D.C. to an abandoned home," the statement reads. "The defendant forcibly raped the victim. The defendant released the victim three hours later, and the victim immediately reported the attack to family members. Forensic testing revealed that the defendant’s DNA was on the victim. A search warrant executed on the defendant’s vehicle recovered the handcuffs and other items."

Prince George's County Police issued a statement saying that the man was not a member of their department or even a police officer. A PGPD spokeswoman told Patch that the term "special police officer" refers to a security guard, not a police officer with authority from a state or local government. A DOJ spokeswoman also confirmed that the individual was a security guard for a private company, and did not have arrest powers nor did he have a service weapon.