Glen Burnie Man Faces 17 Years In Prison After Sexually Abusing 15-Year-Old

GLEN BURNIE, MD — A 34-year-old Glen Burnie man has been sentenced to 15 years with all but 7 years suspended for sex abuse of a minor. The defendant, Rene Hernandez-Gomez, was convicted by a jury of the charges Sept. 30.

On Oct. 17, 2019, family members of a 15-year-old reported that her aunt's boyfriend, who lived in the basement of the teen's home, had sexually assaulted her. Police officers learned that the 15-year-old victim's mom had taken away her cell phone as punishment. The teen asked her mom's boyfriend, Hernandez-Gomez, to buy her a cell phone without her mom knowing. Hernandez-Gomez agreed, but only if he and the teen could be "friends with benefits."

According to a police report, the teen agreed but "never had any intentions to do anything with the defendant." In September 2019, the victim stated that she was in the kitchen preparing food with her grandmother when the defendant inappropriately grabbed her and began to grope and kiss her. The grandmother didn’t hear the commotion due to her age and health.

On Oct. 13, 2019, the teen's stepfather found a red cell phone in her bed. He spoke with the victim's sister who confirmed that the teen's cell phone had been confiscated by their mother and she didn't know anything about the red cell phone. The teen disclosed that Hernandez-Gomez had purchased the cell phone for her. The teen's sister looked through the phone and found Hernandez-Gomez's number and inappropriate text messages between the teen and the defendant.

During a one-party consent phone call, the defendant admitted to the groping incident and told the minor victim that he would end the relationship with her aunt so they could be together even though he knew his actions were illegal and inappropriate.

“As parents, we must be cautious in who we bring into our homes and have meaningful conversations with our children to prevent them from being manipulated and coerced by predatory adults,” State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said. “The defendant used bribery to pursue and sexually assault a minor and for that, he has been held accountable."

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse, tell someone or call the Sexual Assault Crisis Center and Hotline at 410-222-6800.