Maryland Man Gets 30 Years for Sex Abuse Crime

Roderick Parks has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for showing a live video on the Internet of him molesting a minor. The sentenced was handed down in Baltimore at the federal court.

Parks, 42, has AIDS. He was apprehended after Australian Federal Police were notified that there was a video online of him sexual assaulting a boy.

Even though Parks says he never slept with any minors, police say that he confessed to having sexual relations with an 11-year-old male repeatedly last year.

Sex abuse can lead to lifelong emotional, psychological, and physical injuries, including depression, fear, sexual problems, low self-esteem, suicidal tendencies, problems establishing intimate relationships, eating disorders, health problems, and drug abuse.

If your child has suffered because of sex abuse, you should contact a personal injury attorney immediately. Your personal injury lawyer can sue the perpetrator for compensation for the injuries that he or she inflicted on your loved one. Punitive damages may also be imposed to punish the abuser for his or her wrongful actions.

Sex abuse is a devastating crime, which can be prosecuted in a criminal court. Some reports show that about half a million children are sexually abused in the United States annually. Many incidents of sexual abuse, however, go unreported because children are ashamed or unable to report the incident. In 2004, The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry said that there about 80,000 cases of child sexual abuse that are actually reported each year.

Childhood sexual abuse involves sexual activity between an adult and a minor. The age of consent, where a person is deemed old enough to be able to consent to sexual involvement, can vary from state to state. In Maryland and Washington D.C., the age of sexual consent is 16.

Child sex abuse can include molestation, indecent exposure, incest, sexual assault, lewd conduct, rape, prostitution, and the broadcasting/distribution of pornography.

Man gets 30 years for child sex abuse, Examiner.com, September 13, 2007
Child Sexual Abuse, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, July 2004

Related Web Resources:

Maryland: Age of Consent Laws

Statistics Surrounding Child Sexual Abuse, Darkness to Light


To speak to an experienced personal injury attorney in Maryland or Washington D.C., contact Lebowitz & Mzhen today. Attorneys Jack Lebowitz and Vadim Mzhen have successfully handled all areas of personal injury law. We have handled many personal injury cases involving injuries to minors. We are here to protect your child’s right to recovery and fight for the compensation that your family deserves.

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