BALTIMORE, MD – Charles Anthony Forame, IV, 33, of Brooklyn Park, Maryland, has admitted to a sickening pattern of exploiting vulnerable teenage girls. Forame pleaded guilty today to federal child sexual exploitation charges, bringing a dark chapter of online predation closer to a just end.
The case, spearheaded by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland, reveals a calculated scheme where Forame, using the social media platform Snapchat, targeted girls aged 13 to 16 – middle and high school students. He deliberately misrepresented his age, claiming to be 19, to gain their trust and initiate contact.
According to the plea agreement, Forame didn’t stop at online grooming. He allegedly coerced the victims into sending explicit images and, in some instances, performed sexual acts in person. His methods were particularly depraved, offering vapes or marijuana as incentives for these acts. When victims attempted to break off contact, Forame reportedly escalated to threats, promising to disseminate their compromising images if they didn’t comply. This is a classic tactic of control and abuse, designed to silence and further exploit vulnerable individuals.
Federal authorities, including Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, and a coalition of state’s attorneys – Jaymi Sterling (St. Mary’s County), Anthony Covington (Charles County), Robert H. Harvey (Calvert County), and Anne Colt Leitess (Anne Arundel County) – collaborated on the investigation, alongside the St. Mary’s, Charles, and Calvert County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Their combined efforts brought Forame to justice.
Forame now faces a grim reckoning. He is looking at a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years behind bars, with a potential maximum of 30 years in federal prison. Following any prison term, he could be subjected to a lifetime of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Monday, November 24, at 9:30 a.m. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched in 2006 to combat the escalating crisis of child sexual exploitation. The initiative focuses on identifying, rescuing, and prosecuting perpetrators while providing resources for victims. Anyone with information about child exploitation is urged to contact the Department of Justice at justice.gov/psc. Resources for internet safety education can also be found at the same website.
Related Federal Cases
- Silk Road Vendor Handel Admits to Nationwide Drug Trafficking · Maryland
- Suitland Gunman Alverson Admits to DC Robberies, Cop Shootout · Alabama
- Maryland Man Admits Stealing Art, Selling in New Jersey · Maryland
- Melissa Strohman Admits to Stealing $1.8M from Elderly Bank Clients · Maryland
- Randallstown Woman Admits to Booty-Boosting Fraud · Maryland
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News