Forest Hill man found guilty of rape near Bel Air Swim Club in 2023 – Baltimore Sun

A Forest Hill man was convicted Monday of raping an 18-year-old woman behind her family’s home near the Rock Spring Swim Club in Bel Air in 2023.

Kareem Parker, 30, was convicted in district court of first-degree rape, second-degree rape and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Charging documents say that in the weeks before the rape, Parker and the 18-year-old woman had been chatting on Instagram, but Parker began threatening her if she did not continue to contact him.

On Aug. 26, the victim was walking in the woods behind her family home to meet Parker, and he again threatened her if she didn’t do what he wanted, according to charging documents.

Parker displayed a knife and knocked the victim to the ground, causing him to lose consciousness, charging documents state. When she regained consciousness, she found her pants halfway down her legs and felt pain in her genitals.

She returned home and told her mother, and the rape was then reported to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. Harford Memorial Hospital conducted forensic testing and obtained DNA evidence.

Examinations showed that the injured party’s injuries were traumatic and extensive. Sheriff’s deputies searched Parker’s apartment and took his DNA.

Initially, during his August 6 arrest, Parker denied any sexual contact with the victim. Parker is being held at the Harford County Detention Center pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.

“We are obviously disappointed with the jury’s verdict,” said John Janowich, Parker’s attorney with the Public Defender’s Office. “We will now focus on the sentencing and appeal phases of this trial.”