HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — A former special education paraeducator at Guilford Park High School has pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree sex offense, according to a Howard County State's Attorney's Office spokesperson.
William Nelson II, 27, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all but 235 days suspended, which equates to time served.
According to police, Nelson met the victim, a teenage boy, through a dating app and engaged in sexual intercourse in Nelson's car.
Police say the victim later reported the incident to school staff, who then contacted authorities.
Nelson was subsequently placed on administrative leave by the Howard County Public School System.
The spokesperson said during sentencing, the state requested three years in prison, taking into account the victim's reluctance to testify during trial.
The victim's mother also made an impact statement, which was read and considered by the court before sentencing.
A final decision was made to sentence Nelson to time served, with the balance suspended.
Nelson was also sentenced to five years of supervised probation under the COMET program, which is Howard County's specialized supervision program for people convicted of sex offenses.
The conditions of Nelson's probation require that he must:
- Comply with all COMET program requirements;
- Undergo a psychosexual evaluation and participate in sex offender treatment as directed;
- Submit a DNA sample;
- Participate in any mental health, substance abuse, or other evaluations, testing, or treatment deemed appropriate by his supervising agent;
- Have no unsupervised contact with minors; and
- Have absolutely no contact with the victim.
Nelson must also register as a Tier II sex offender under Maryland law, which will require him to remain on the Maryland Sex Offender Registry for 25 years.
