FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
April
23, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FT. MEADE WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR
First Woman Charged Under Maryland’s Project Safe Childhood Program
Baltimore, Maryland - Sarah E. Ellison, age 31, of Ft. Meade, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to sexual abuse of a minor, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to her plea agreement, Ellison operated a day care from her home in Ft. Meade, an area within the special territorial jurisdiction of the United States. The victim, a male between 12 and 16 years of age, was friends with members of Ellison’s family. This victim was not a day care participant. Due to his friendship with those family members, the victim spent time after school at Ellison’s residence. According to the statement of facts, from November 2005 to June 2006 Ellison and the victim had sexual contact, touching each other between 10 to 20 times during that time period.
Ellison faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for sexual abuse of a minor. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for July 29, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Defense - Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Bonnie S. Greenberg and Judson T. Mihok, who are prosecuting the case.