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A Maryland man was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to rape and sexual solicitation of a minor on Friday.
Joppa resident Edwin Richard Hunt, 43 was found guilty of one count of second-degree rape, one count of sexual solicitation of a minor, and one count of production of child pornography. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison with 20 years suspended.
Officers began investigating Hunt when the 13-year-old girl reported the rape to Frederick Police Department. The victim told police that she met him online and that they had had sexual intercourse.
"The defendant, later identified as Hunt, had met the victim three weeks earlier on a social media platform," the State’s Attorney’s Office for Frederick County said in a statement. "The defendant began to engage in sexually charged conversation with the minor victim, while sending explicit images."
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The suspect also asked the victim to film a pornographic video of herself. Detectives determined that Hunter had traveled for sex at least twice.
"The first, in an attempt to provide the victim with 'pleasure' toys and the second, to sexually assault the victim in her home," the press release added.
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Hunter raped the girl on January 18, police said. He reestablished contact the next day and told the victim that he wanted to meet her again.
"Every child deserves protection from the dangers of sexual exploitation and abuse, be it online, in-person, or through sexually explicit images," State’s Attorney Charlie Smith said in a statement. "We stand by the bravery of victims who come forward, and we’re resolute in our commitment to their safety. We will continue to work in tandem with other agencies to put an end to such reprehensible behavior."
