Frederick, MD – A jury in Frederick County Circuit Court has found 46-year-old Christopher Kraft of Monrovia, MD, guilty of First Degree Assault, Second Degree Child Abuse, Neglect of a Child, and two counts of Second Degree Assault. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday after a three-day trial presided over by Judge Scott Rolle.
On March 3, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a welfare check request concerning a child. Deputies encountered the witness, the child, and Kraft, learning that Kraft had struck the child in the face before pulling the child to the ground and standing on their stomach, threatening to crush them. Kraft also locked the child in a room and neglected their needs.
Further investigation revealed a prior incident where Kraft threw water on the child and pointed a firearm at them, threatening to shoot. These incidents led to the charges and subsequent conviction.
Kraft is being held without bond at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center until his sentencing date on November 26. The State was represented by Erin Pearl, an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Special Victims Unit.