He was convicted of child abuse, assault, and child neglect.
Christopher Kraft (Photo from Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office)
Frederick, Md (KM) A Monrovia man was sentenced on Tuesday in Frederick County Circuit Court for 1st-degree assault, 2nd-degree assault, 2nd-degree child abuse and neglect of a child. The State’s Attorney’s Office says Christopher Kraft, 46, received 25 years for first-degree assault, with all but 17 years suspended. Along with that, Circuit Court Judge Scott Rolle suspended a 15-year sentence for 2nd-degree child abuse which will run consecutively. Concurrent sentences were imposed for the other offenses, .
When he’s released Kraft will be placed on four years of supervised probation which includes a number of conditions. He also must have no contact with the victim.
On March 3rd, 2024, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office responded to a welfare check on a child. Deputes made contact with the witness, the child and Kraft. Prior to their arrival, authorities say Kraft hit the child in the face, pulled the child to ground and stood on the child’s stomach, threatening to crush the child. He also placed a lock on the outside of a room where the child was located, and failed to provide for the needs of the child. The State’s Attorney’s Office also said Kraft threw water on the child, and pointed a firearm at the child, threatening to shoot.
“Physical child abuse can be every bit as harrowing as sex abuse cases,” says State’s Attorney Charlie Smith, in a statement. “This was terrible assault by a terrible person on a child. ASA Pearl was able to achieve justice for this child and our community with this lengthy sentence.”
Assistant State’s Attorney for the Special Victims Unit, Erin Pearl, represented the State in this case.
By Kevin McManus