WALDORF, Md. — Charles County detectives have charged a 19-year-old Accokeek man in connection with three reported incidents in which women were groped, including one at a Waldorf store, and they believe there may be more victims.
Jalen Andre Simon was arrested Thursday, Oct. 8, by detectives with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and disorderly conduct, the sheriff’s office said Friday. On Oct. 9, a judge ordered that Simon could be released from the Charles County Detention Center on electronic monitoring.
The investigation began in July, when officers were called to a business in Waldorf for a report that a man had groped a woman while she was shopping. Two more cases were reported in September, according to the sheriff’s office, which did not say where those incidents happened or whether the same business was involved.
Officers and detectives positively identified a suspect, and a search warrant was served at Simon’s home in Accokeek, in southern Prince George’s County, with help from the Prince George’s County Police Department.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains ongoing and is asking anyone with information about these incidents, or anyone who believes they may have been a victim, to contact Detective Bagwell at 301-609-6501.
What the charges mean
Under Maryland law, fourth-degree sexual assault covers unwanted sexual contact without the force or other circumstances that define the more serious degrees. It is a misdemeanor. A first offense carries up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both; a repeat offense can bring up to three years. Disorderly conduct carries up to 60 days and a $500 fine. The sheriff’s office did not say how many counts Simon faces. Charges are accusations, and Simon is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Release on electronic monitoring means Simon is out of jail but under location tracking while the case proceeds. The sheriff’s office did not list any other conditions of his release.
The arrest is not the first this year involving a shopper groped in a Waldorf store. In April, officers charged a 34-year-old Oxon Hill man after a woman reported being touched inside a store at the Festival Way Shopping Center. Nothing in the sheriff’s office’s release connects that case to Simon.
Victims of sexual assault in Charles County can get confidential help from the Center for Abused Persons, which offers counseling, advocacy and support groups. Its crisis hotline, 301-645-3336, is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Charles County Crime Solvers pays rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest or indictment. Anonymous tips can be made at 1-866-411-TIPS, at CharlesCountyCrimeSolvers.com or through the P3 Tips app.
