A man who sexually abused his stepdaughter "almost every day" in Maryland was convicted after two previous mistrials, the Harford County State's Attorney announced.
Edgewood resident Harold Ferguson, 49, was convicted of three counts of sex abuse of a minor following a four-day trial and a contentious motion hearing between the parties on a "Motion for Other Sexually Assaultive Behavior," officials say.
The abuse began when the girl was just 6 years old and continued until she was a senior in high school, with disturbing details shared at trial painting a harrowing picture of her childhood.
According to the State's Attorney’s Office, between August 2004 and August 2008, Ferguson "sexually abused his then-minor stepdaughter almost every day in the family home in Edgewood," typically in the basement when no one else was home.
The abuse began in Baltimore and continued after the family moved to Harford County.
At trial, a detective from the Harford County Sheriff's Office testified about the investigation, including an interview with the stepdaughter's boyfriend in 2021, when he said they had all engaged in a threesome when they were around 16.
“Detective Horner’s interview of the boyfriend’s statement was played for the jury, in which he told the detective he had observed the victim performing oral sex on (Ferguson) in the basement of the family’s home,” prosecutors said.
The detective also testified that he interviewed the victim’s mother, who was "cold and distant" and "failed to return for a follow-up interview with him concerning the abuse of her own child."
Ferguson's stepdaughter also testified, saying everything came to a head when she rebuffed his advances, which led to a physical fight that involved mace.
It was then that the teen and her family went to a friend’s house in Baltimore, where she confided in her mother about what had been happening.
Despite being informed of Ferguson's actions, another witness testified that her mother “did not call 911, did not take the child to the hospital, and did not console the child.”
Ferguson later told the teen’s mother that “she came on to me,” while the mother claimed she did not recall a fight at their Harford County home.
“Delayed report cases are some of the toughest cases we try. I commend Assistant State’s Attorney Becky Malkowski for her perseverance and determination in this case,” State’s Attorney Alison Healey said.
“She never gave up, and she truly is a champion for child sexual abuse victims. Her determination, along with the work of all the dedicated staff of the Harford County Child Advocacy Center, ensured that justice was served today and that a predator will no longer be in a position to victimize another child.”
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