Press Releases

Frederick – On December 20^th, the Frederick Grand Jury indicted Ernesto Cesar Torres, age 69, of Frederick on 98 counts of sex crimes charges. In a Circuit Court bond review this afternoon, Judge Theresa Adams ordered Torres held without bond. The 98 counts relate to allegations from an additional 19 victims. All of the victims were juveniles at the time of the alleged offenses. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for January 24^th at 9am.

Torres was sentenced December 23^rd to one year in the Frederick County Adult Detention Center for 4^th Degree Sex Offense. He is currently serving that sentence. On April 26^th, 2019, the 18-year old female victim, who was a lifelong patient of Dr. Torres, went to his office on Thomas Johnson Drive for a follow-up appointment to discuss her anxiety medication. It was during this appointment that the victim reported being sexually assaulted by Torres. Torres waived his right to a jury trial in late October. Judge William R. Nicklas Jr. presided over a three-day bench trial and ultimately on November 1^st, found Torres guilty of 2^nd Degree Assault and 4^th Degree Sex Offense. A 4^th Degree Sex Offense merges with 2^nd Degree Assault and therefore the maximum penalty in this case was a 1 year sentence. Torres will receive credit for time served on home detention since May 7^th.

Additionally, Torres is scheduled for a trial to begin March 30^th. In that case, a combined 49 sex crimes charges are alleged involving 12 victims.

An indictment is a charging document alleging criminal conduct. All defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Frederick – This morning, Frederick Circuit Court Judge Julia A. Martz-Fisher sentenced Rudolph Jericho Smith, age 37, of Frederick, MD to 30 years, suspending all but 9 years active in the Division of Corrections for assault and knowingly transferring HIV to three women. Upon release, he must serve 5 years of probation. Smith entered an Alford plea to 3 Counts of Second Degree Assault and 3 Counts of Knowingly Attempting to Transfer HIV on September 13, 2019. An Alford plea is a type of guilty plea, where the defendant does not formally admit guilt, but acknowledges that the State has sufficient evidence to convict them.

The Frederick Police Department began an investigation into Rudolph Smith during the summer of 2017, when separate women disclosed their belief that Rudolph Smith had infected them with HIV. Considerable time in the investigation was spent trying to determine whether or not Mr. Smith was HIV positive, and whether he was aware of that fact. It was eventually established that Rudolph Smith was aware that he was HIV-positive but continued to have unprotected sex with women without informing them of his status.

In response to today’s above the guidelines sentence, State’s Attorney Charlie Smith reacted, “While HIV is not what it was 15 years ago with effective treatments that now exist, these victims will be impacted by this defendant’s actions for the rest of their lives.”

The State was represented by Chief Counsel Joyce King and Assistant State’s Attorney Brett Engler.

FREDERICK – This afternoon, Frederick County Circuit Court Judge G. Edward Dwyer Jr. sentenced Eddie Wayne Moore Jr., age 42, of Thurmont, MD to an aggregate sentence of 24 years in the Division of Correction to serve on three counts of 2^nd Degree Assault following a guilty verdict returned by a Frederick County jury in September.

In response to today’s sentence, State’s Attorney Charlie Smith commented, “This afternoon, Judge Dwyer agreed with the State’s sentencing recommendation and handed down a sentence that reflects the severity of repeated domestic abuse. My office will continue to seek sentences that hold abusers accountable for their actions and combat the community issue of domestic violence.”

On February 23, 2019 at 9:26 am, Thurmont Police Officer Nicole Fair responded to an apartment in the 100 block of Boundary Avenue for the report of a domestic assault in progress. Upon arrival on the scene, Officer Fair determined that the defendant, Eddie Moore had fled the area. Officer Fair located the victim, the defendant’s wife, in a nearby neighbor’s apartment. The Officer observed multiple injuries on the victim including swollen eyes, a cut on the back of the head, blood around the mouth, nose and face, as well as scratches to her chest.

The victim stated that the defendant returned home from on the evening of February 22^nd. She stated that Moore became irate when he learned that she had wrecked their vehicle while he was incarcerated. At one point, a co-worker of the victim stopped by the apartment to drop off food and medicine.  The Defendant threatened that if the Victim opened the door for her co-worker that he would kill her. The Victim assured her co-worker that she was fine, and the co-worker left. The following morning, the situation escalated further when Moore struck the victim multiple times and strangled her with a crutch. The victim was successfully able to flee the residence and find help at a neighbor’s apartment. The victim was transported to Frederick Memorial Hospital by first responders.

The State’s Attorney’s Office encourages anyone experiencing domestic violence to report the crime to law enforcement, and to seek additional assistance from Heartly House, (301) 662-8800. Heartly House provides 24 hour/day help for victims and survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and child abuse.

The case was investigated by Thurmont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Brett Engler.

Eddie Wayne Moore Jr.

Frederick – This morning, the Honorable Judge Julie Stevenson Solt ordered two juvenile defendants to remain held pending their next court appearance. The State filed waiver petitions to move the cases to adult court, thus canceling the hearing set for October 22^nd.   The juvenile defendants, ages 15 and 16, are brothers. The 15-year-old has now been charged with manslaughter, 1^st degree assault, and two counts of 2^nd degree assault, and the 16-year-old defendant has been charged with two counts of 2^nd degree assault. Judge Solt set a waiver hearing date for November 19^th for both defendants.

On Friday, September 20th at approximately 5:36 p.m., Frederick County Sheriff’s Office deputies assigned to the Great Frederick Fair were notified of an assault near the midway area of the fairgrounds. A short time later, deputies located the victim, a 59 year old male, lying unconscious on the ground. EMS responded and the victim was flown out by Trooper 3 to the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for further treatment. That victim, John Marvin Weed of Mount Airy, later died of his injuries. It is alleged that the 15-year-old juvenile male asked the victim for a dollar. At that point, the victim said no, and a verbal altercation occurred. The victim walked away, but the defendants are accused of punching him in the head while following him. Several minutes later, the 15-year-old juvenile male punched Mr. Weed in the head causing him to fall to the ground. As the victim laid on the ground, the 16-year-old brother spat on the victim.

FREDERICK- A joint investigation by the Maryland State Police and Frederick County Child Protective Services has led to the arrests of three employees at a special education day school and residential treatment center in Frederick County after they were indicted on child abuse and sexual assault charges.

The suspects are identified as Jermaine Thomas, 35, of Frederick, Md., Ariel Eppard, 27, of Hagerstown, Md., and Wesley Dean 32, of Montgomery Village, Md.  A Frederick County Grand Jury indicted the three suspects late last month.

Thomas is charged with 3 counts of Sex Abuse of a Minor and 7 counts of Child Pornography/Filming a Sex Act. Eppard is charged with 2 counts of Sex Abuse of a Minor, 2 counts of 4^th degree sex offense (Person in position of authority) and 2 counts of a Court-ordered Provider Engaging in Sex Act. Dean is charged with 1 count of Sex Abuse of a Minor, 1 Count of 4^th Degree Sex Offense(Person in position of authority), and 2 counts of Court-ordered Provider Engaging in Sex Act.

The indictment was served on Thomas this morning at the Frederick County Courthouse by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, after he agreed to turn himself in.  Eppard was arrested by Maryland State Police at a second job location in Hagerstown shortly before noon today.  Maryland State Police arrested Dean this afternoon in Montgomery County. All three have been taken to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center where they are being processed and will have an initial appearance before a court commissioner.

The suspects are charged with offenses involving a 17-year-old female and an 18-year-old female, both of whom were students at the time of the incidents at The Jefferson School, in Jefferson, Md.  The Maryland State Police does not identify victims of sexual assault.

On June 5, 2019, the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division was contacted by the Frederick County Child Protective Services concerning allegations of child sexual offenses occurring at The Jefferson School.  An immediate joint investigation was initiated by the State Police and Child Protective Services.

The investigation developed information and evidence that indicates Thomas and Eppard committed sexual assaults involving one victim on multiple occasions both on and off the school campus.  Information indicates Dean committed sexual offenses involving both victims on the school campus.  The offenses involving the three suspects are alleged to have begun in late 2018 and continued into this year.  Investigators learned each suspect was a staff member at the school involved in the supervision of students in the residential area.

Investigators from the Maryland State Police and Child Protective Services presented their investigation to the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office for review.  Chief Assistant State’s Attorney Tammy Leache took the evidence to the Frederick County Grand Jury who subsequently chose to indict the three defendants.

The investigation is continuing.