Cops: Dirtbag Roundup Sends Four to Slammer on Charges of Soliciting Minors for Sex
COLUMBIA, MD. — Following their convictions on charges of trying to hire minors for sex, four men who stand accused of that crime will have their names added to the Maryland Sex Offender Registry after they serve prison terms.
Maryland State Police investigators from the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) arrest four men, involved in four separate incidents, on sexual solicitation related felony charges.
The accused are identified as Alexander Christensen, 24, of 4034 Holly Knoll Drive in Glen Arm, Md., who was arrested, charged and released on May 25, 2016.
Rafael Constante, 28, of 5815 Drawbridge Court in Frederick, Md., was arrested, charged and released from jail on May 26, 2016. Constante is already represented by a taxpayer-provided public defender, Carol A. Hanson, who does not represent the public but defends those charged with crimes against the public, with the public picking the tab.
Ryan Parham, 31, of the 10000 block of Swansfield Road in Columbia, Md., was charged with assault and reckless endangerment in Howard County Circuit Court on Nov. 4, 2015, which ended in a plea deal with the Howard County States Attorney who put the charges on the Stet Docket.
Tracey Neal Dove, 49, of 1647 Elkwood Court in Annapolis, Md., was charged by Maryland State Police Detective Matthew Pitcher on May 26, 2016, with sexual solicitation of a minor. He was released on bail the same day. Dove had been arrested on sex offense in the second degree and battery by Anne Arundel County Police for an incident that court records say that occurred on April 21, 1996. The Anne Arundel County States Attorney dropped both charges without prosecution on April 30, 1996.
All four are charged with the sexual solicitation of a law enforcement officer posing as a minor. Upon conviction, they each face up to ten years’ imprisonment and up to $25,000 in fines.
On Tuesday, May 24, 2016, the Maryland State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted a proactive operation involving the online sexual solicitation of minors. During the covert operation and in two separate incidents, Christensen and Parham communicated online with an undercover police officer posing as a minor. Both men made statements expressing a desire to meet the minor and engage in sexual activity.
Police say that both Christensen and Parham, again acting individually, traveled to an undisclosed location in Howard County for the encounter. Shortly before 8:00 p.m. during the operation, Parham was arrested without incident and transported to the Howard County Detention Center for Processing. At 8:30 p.m. that same night, Christensen was also placed under arrest and transported to the Howard County Detention Center.
The two additional subsequent arrests of Dove and Constante also resulted from similar proactive investigations. Shortly before 5:30 p.m. yesterday, Constante was arrested after he traveled to an undisclosed location in Howard County. He was taken into police custody without incident and transported to the Howard County Detention Center. Police say that on May 26, 2016, shortly after 10:30 a.m., Dove was arrested without incident after traveling to an undisclosed location in St. Mary’s County. He was transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center.
Investigators from the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit and state troopers from the Field Operations Bureau conducted the covert operations. Assistance was provided by the personnel from Homeland Security Investigations.
The Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is organized under the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Section. The task force is comprised of police agencies from around the state and its primary mission is to protect children from computer-facilitated sexual exploitation. The Task Force works cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide resources to combat these crimes. Additionally, the Task Force provides community awareness campaigns helping to prevent the spread of these crimes through education.
All four of these men are presumed to be innocent until proven in a court of law of being dirtbags.