Aberdeen Man Sentenced In 'Terrifying, Traumatizing' Rape: Prosecution

BEL AIR, MD — An Aberdeen man has been sentenced in what prosecutors said was the violent rape of a woman and for spreading fecal matter on the walls of the county jail's day room while he was an inmate.

Tavon Isaiah Harvey, now 29, pleaded guilty in three separate cases but accepted a global plea agreement that combines all the charges. On Dec. 30, 2022, a woman reported a rape to the Aberdeen Police Department. The investigation revealed that Harvey had assaulted the victim during a two-hour period from midnight to 2 a.m. The rape happened inside an abandoned building at 18 N. Law Street in Aberdeen. Harvey held the victim at knifepoint during the rape and also strangled her. The victim was able to escape when another person entered the abandoned house, distracting Harvey, according to court documents.

The victim identified Harvey via an MVA photograph and reported seeing Harvey watch her walk into the police precinct that morning wearing the same clothes, a distinctive red sweatsuit. Harvey was Mirandized and gave several conflicting versions of events, including that he had not seen the victim and only knew her in passing, the prosecution stated.

A sexual assault forensic exam was conducted, documenting injuries and bruising consistent with the victim’s recollection of events. DNA evidence also was collected during the SAFE exam, which confirmed Harvey’s identity as the assailant.

In the other two cases, Harvey pled guilty to one count of an inmate causing contact with bodily fluid and entered into an admission to violating probation for a prior conviction for second-degree assault. On April 8 while being held at the Harford County Detention Center awaiting trial, Harvey used empty bottles from his shower items to collect fecal matter, which he then sprayed over the bars and walls of the day room during shift change. Responding deputies and correctional officers had to decontaminate the area.

On Jan. 25, Harvey was sentenced to life in prison suspend all but 60 years for first-degree rape. Deputy State's Attorney Trenna Manners had requested a sentence of 85 years to serve in this case, seeking additional time than was imposed by the judge due to the defendant's "heinous actions in this case."

As part of the global plea agreement, Harvey also pleaded guilty to one count of an inmate causing contact with bodily fluid in a separate case and was sentenced to five years concurrent. He also admitted to a violation of probation in a third case for which he was sentenced to seven years consecutive to the other two cases. The total sentence in all three cases was life suspend all but 67 years to serve.

"Ensuring Tavon Harvey is off the streets of our community for decades to come is a significant win for safety and justice in Harford County. Harvey is a violent offender both physically and sexually, who preys on vulnerable victims. his actions in these cases warranted an extensive period of incarceration. I commend the victim in this case for her willingness to recount this terrifying and traumatizing event and for her ability to work with our office to ensure her attacker was brought to justice," said State's Attorney Alison M. Healey after the court hearing.