Man gets 5 years for sex abuse

December 07, 1998|By MARLO BARNHART

A 34-year-old Hagerstown man, charged with sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl on several occasions in May, was sentenced Thursday to serve five years in prison.

Terry Lee Line, of the 300 block of West Side Avenue, pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree sex offense in Washington County Circuit Court.

Additional charges of perverted sexual practice and second-degree assault were dropped in exchange for the plea.

Line told Hagerstown City Police that he did it because she "came on to him."

The victim told Detective William Rourke that Line gave her marijuana to smoke on May 31 while she was on a couch in the Hagerstown apartment she shares with her mother, court records said.

Then she said Line began to touch her genital area with his hand, progressing to the performance of oral sex on her while she was on the couch, court records said.

When asked by police about other incidents, the victim told police that Line had touched her inside her genital area "less than 10 times," court records said.

She also told police she had performed oral sex on Line earlier in May ... against her will, court records said.

Line was confronted with the allegations on June 3. He allegedly told police that he never forced the girl to either perform or submit to oral sex, court records said.

He allegedly told police she "came on to him" by touching his genital area while he was in the bathroom, court records said.

Judge Donald Beachley originally sentenced Line to eight years in prison but suspended three of those years. He placed Line on probation for three years once released and gave him credit for time served awaiting trial.

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