Crime & Safety

Man Pleads Guilty to Groping School Girl

As part of a plea deal, the Montgomery County man must register as a sex offender.

>>News Alerts: Subscribe to a free email newsletter: BETHESDAROCKVILLESILVER SPRING

A man who groped a 12-year-old girl at a Montgomery County school will have to register as a sex offender as part of a plea deal.

John Epps of Fort Washington admitted he touched a girl on the buttock as she walked down a hallway at John T. Baker Middle School in Damascus in October, reports WTOP.

Find out what's happening in Montgomery Villagefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Epps was installing security cameras when the incident happened, which was caught on camera.

Under the plea agreement, Epps was placed on five years probation, and he must register as a sex offender in Maryland for 15 years.

Find out what's happening in Montgomery Villagefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

School officials didn’t release information about the incident until nearly a month after it happened, saying they wanted to protect the victim’s privacy and not interfere with the ongoing police investigation. But the move infuriated parents, who said school officials only notified the community once the crime was reported in the media, WTOP reported.

SEE ALSO:

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.