(Columbia, MD) – A man who had been making on-line plans for months to allegedly have sex with someone he thought was a 13-year old girl had his plans interrupted last night when he was arrested by members of the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit.
The suspect is identified as Robert A. Prall, 28, of the 6200-block of Sandrise Court, Elkridge, Md. He is charged with one count of solicitation of a minor. If convicted, he could face up to ten years in prison and/or a $25,000 fine.
The investigation began in late February 2009, when an undercover state trooper assigned to the Computer Crimes Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force posted a listing on an Internet site featuring on-line classified advertisements. The on-line identity indicated the person was a young girl.
Within days, a communication was received from an individual who identified himself as a 28-year-old man from Elkridge. During the next two months, on-line conversations occurred between the man and the trooper posing as the 13-year-old girl. Most of the conversations had sexual overtones or were outright discussions of the two meeting for sex. In the interim, investigators identified the adult as the suspect, Prall.
On April 22, 2009, through email, texting and instant messaging, Prall made arrangements to meet the person he thought was the 13-year-old girl in Columbia and take her back to his home for sexual intercourse. The two were to meet at 4:30 p.m. and would go to Prall’s home while his live-in girlfriend was away.
Prall arrived at the designated meeting place shortly before 4:30 p.m. yesterday. He was arrested by Maryland State Police and taken to the Waterloo Barracks for processing.
State Police coordinate Maryland’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is made up of federal, state, county, and municipal law enforcement officers dedicated to identifying and apprehending criminals exploiting and victimizing children through the use of the Internet. The Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigates all varieties of computer related criminal activity and operates the Computer Forensics Laboratory. State Police provide assistance to police departments throughout Maryland in computer crime investigations.
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