Forest Hill man convicted of rape near Bel Air swim club in 2023 – Baltimore Sun

A Forest Hill man was convicted Monday of raping an 18-year-old woman behind her family home near the Rock Spring Swim Club in Bel Air in 2023.

Kareem Parker, 30, was convicted of first-degree rape, second-degree rape and third-degree sexual offense in Circuit Court, according to the Harford County State's Attorney's Office.

A few weeks before the rape, Parker and the 18-year-old woman were communicating on Instagram, but Parker began threatening her if she did not continue communicating with him, according to charging documents.

On Aug. 26, the victim walked into the woods behind the family home to meet Parker, and he threatened her again if she didn't do what he wanted, according to charging documents.

Parker displayed a knife and pushed the victim to the ground, causing her to pass out, according to charging documents. When she regained consciousness, her pants were halfway down her legs and she felt pain in her genitals.

She went home and told her mother, then they reported the rape to the Harford County Sheriff's Office. Harford Memorial Hospital conducted a forensic examination and obtained DNA evidence.

The examination showed that the victim's injuries were traumatic and extensive. Sheriff's deputies searched Parker's apartment and collected his DNA.

Initially, upon his arrest on August 6, Parker denied any sexual contact with the victim. Parker is being held at the Harford County Detention Center until his sentencing, which has not yet been set.

“We are obviously disappointed with the jury's verdict,” said John Janowich, Parker's attorney with the public defender's office. “We will now focus on the sentencing and appeal phase of this trial.”