Baltimore officials were alerted after a farmer at the state fair noticed the unusual behavior of a 17-year-old with a 9-year-old child, and notified the child’s father who contacted law enforcement officials. Baltimore police and the County Crimes Against Children Unit arrived to the Maryland State Fair to investigate the scene. There they spoke to the young girl and made a shocking discovery. For years, the girl’s family has traveled with the teen’s family for livestock show fairs in Maryland and beyond.
For those same amount of years, approximately since the child was a toddler, the teenager has sexually assaulted the girl. Police said when they spoke to the child, she shared the teen boy had “forced her to perform various sex acts, including intercourse.”
The rape happened in the teen’s family’s trailer, and what the girl called the “swine barn.” Reportedly, the teen would assault the girl for up to 20 minutes each time he saw her at the next fair. The families are astounded by the discovery as police arrested the teen on charges of second degree rape, perverted practices, fourth degree sexual assault, and a host of additional charges. It is expected the teen will be charged as an adult pending his hearing.
The teen was identified as Jonathan Fleming by witnesses at the scene. He was placed in the Baltimore County Detention Center with a half million dollar bond. Cpl. Shawn Vinson of the Baltimore County Police Department said the teen could face four decades in prison.
The Fleming family are members of the Maryland Angus Association, and the teen has earned prizes for his show cows in recent fairs in the state. The families have not yet released a statement following the arrest.
