On Monday, June 10, 2024, Kareem Anthony Parker, 30, of Forest Hill, was found guilty of First Degree Rape, Second Degree Rape and Sexual Offense in the Third Degree, following a six day jury trial before the Honorable Diane Adkins-Tobin in the Circuit Court for Harford County.
Evidence presented in trial proved that on August 6, 2023, Parker met the then 18-year-old female victim in the woods behind her family home, near the Rock Spring Swim Club in Bel Air. The victim and defendant had been communicating via Instagram messages for a few weeks leading up to the rape. Testimony showed that when the victim tried to end the relationship in the woods that day, Parker pushed her to the ground, causing her to black out. When the victim regained consciousness, she found her pants halfway down her legs and was experiencing pain in her genitals. She immediately returned home, informed her mother, and then responded to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office to report the rape. The victim then went to Harford Memorial Hospital for a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (“SAFE”), through which DNA evidence was collected. The SAFE nurse described the injuries to the victim as traumatic and extensive. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division assumed the investigation, and additional evidence was collected pursuant to the execution of a search warrant on the defendant’s apartment. A Maryland State Police Laboratory DNA analyst processed the evidence, ultimately locating the defendant’s DNA on swabs taken during the SAFE exam. Following his arrest, the defendant initially denied all sexual contact with the victim that day, but later admitted only to “fact-checking” her, a story which was not consistent with the location, or amount of injuries observed and described by the SAFE nurse. The defendant will continue to be held at the Harford County Detention Center pending sentencing, which will be scheduled at a later date.
Following the verdict State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey stated: “Sexual assault cases of any kind are some of the most challenging cases we present before the court due to the sensitive nature of the facts and often complicated circumstances. This case was particularly heinous, and I commend the victim for her courage in confronting her abuser in open court by testifying to ensure that justice was served. No person should ever experience the kind of violation that she suffered in this case. I am proud that my office was not only able to use our skill and experience to secure this conviction, but that we were also able to guide this victim and her family through this incredibly traumatic experience with care and compassion.”
State’s Attorney Healey thanks Deputy State’s Attorney Trenna Manners and Assistant State’s Attorney Logan Hayes for their efforts in securing this conviction and seeing that this sexual predator is removed from our community. She also commends Detectives Gividen and Moro from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services Unit, the forensic nurse from Harford Memorial Hospital, and the DNA analyst from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division for their diligence in ensuring a thorough investigation was conducted ultimately leading to this successful prosecution.