Jury convicts Hampstead man for sexually abusing minor, starting at 8 years old, over 5-year span

In a three-day trial, a jury found a Hampstead man guilty of sex abuse of a minor over a five-year span, beginning when the victim was 8 years old, according to the Office of the State’s Attorney for Carroll County.

Matthew Aaron Little, 48, was indicted June 13 on two charges related to sexual abuse of a minor, according to online court records. Little pleaded not guilty to both charges, online court records show. The trial was held in Carroll County Circuit Court starting on Monday and ending on Wednesday.

After the jury found Little guilty, Judge J. Barry Hughes revoked bond, keeping Little in custody until his sentencing Feb. 6 at 9 a.m., according to a Thursday news release from the Office of the State’s Attorney. Little faces a maximum penalty of 30 years incarceration for one sexual abuse of a minor charge and up to 25 years for the other, according to the criminal indictment.

“Earlier this year, a child disclosed that Little had inappropriate sexual contact with him over the course of five years, beginning when the child was 8 years old,” the release reads.

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Christopher Jordan Ibex - White Male, DOB: 01/17/1999, Height: 6’00”, Weight: 175lbs, Eyes: Brown, Hair: Brown, Identifying Features: None, Last Known Address: 1970 Carrollton Road, Finksburg, MD 21048. Wanted For: VOP-Malicious Dest. Of Prop/Resisting Arrest (Carroll County Sheriff's Office)

State’s Attorney Brian DeLeonardo, in the release, praised the victim for testifying in court.

“This young victim demonstrated incredible courage by testifying at trial, and our office is grateful for the child’s bravery, which was essential in securing a guilty conviction in this case,” DeLeonardo said.

A pre-sentencing investigation and mental health evaluation of Little will be conducted prior to his sentencing, according to the release.

Little was initially held without bail until a June 14 bail review hearing before Judge Fred Hecker, who established bail at $25,000, according to online court records. Little was released on the conditions of pre-trial supervision — specifically, “no contact” and “no unsupervised contact with minor” — according to a court document.

According to the indictment, Little “engage[d] in a continuing course of conduct over a period of 90 days or more" with the victim between Feb. 1, 2014, and Nov. 17, 2018, in Hampstead. Additionally, Little “did cause sexual abuse to” the victim between Feb. 1, 2014, and Feb. 28, 2019, in Hampstead, the indictment states.

A representative of the Law Offices of James Crawford Jr., who defended Little, declined to comment when reached Thursday.

Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Mary E. Burnell prosecuted the case, and the Carroll County Advocacy and Investigation Center investigated the case, the release states. The prosecution did not offer additional comment beyond the news release.