Teen Is Charged as an Adult in Rape of 12-Year-Old Girl

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By Matt Zapotosky

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 8, 2008; Page B04

A teenager from Great Mills was ordered held without bond yesterday after he was charged over the weekend in the rape of a 12-year-old girl at his St. Mary's County home.

John K. Edison Jr., 16, was charged as an adult with second-degree rape and other related offenses. According to charging documents, Edison pulled the girl into his bedroom and attacked her, despite her attempts to fight him off. He also struck her with a belt, according to the documents.

Kevin J. McDevitt, Edison's defense attorney, said he will try to have the case moved to juvenile court. McDevitt said Edison is innocent and will be exonerated at trial.

"Essentially what's going on in this case is a young girl got caught sneaking out by her parents over to his house, and she's scared and that's the story that she gave," McDevitt said. "She came over to his house, voluntarily, and when she left his house, she actually gave him a hug."

According to the charging documents, Edison "gave several variations of what happened" after initially saying he was not with the girl. He changed that story when police confronted him with a cousin who had said Edison was with the girl, the documents say.

Lt. Rick Burris, commander of the St. Mary's County Bureau of Criminal Investigations, said Edison was charged as an adult "because of the severity of the charges." Burris said the 12-year-old girl did not know Edison but went to his house with a teenage friend who did. Burris said the 12-year-old's mother went to police with rape accusations.