Charles Anthony Forame, IV, a 33-year-old resident of Brooklyn Park, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to child sexual exploitation. The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, along with officials from the FBI Baltimore Field Office and several local law enforcement agencies.
According to court documents and the plea agreement, Forame used Snapchat to contact teenage girls online. He misrepresented his age as 19 and persuaded victims—who were between 13 and 16 years old—to send him explicit images or meet in person for sexual acts. In some cases, he offered vapes or marijuana in exchange for these images or acts. When victims tried to end communication, Forame threatened to expose their images.
Forame faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and could receive up to 30 years, followed by supervised release that may last for life. Sentencing is scheduled for November 24 at 9:30 a.m.
The investigation involved cooperation among federal and local authorities as part of Project Safe Childhood. This Department of Justice initiative began in May 2006 and coordinates efforts among various agencies to combat child sexual exploitation nationwide. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes acknowledged the work of the FBI; state’s attorneys from St. Mary’s County, Charles County, Calvert County, and Anne Arundel County; sheriff’s offices from those counties; and the Anne Arundel County Police Department during the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn is prosecuting the case.
Additional resources about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office are available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md.
