DELMAR COUPLE FOUND GUILTY OF SEX ABUSE OF A MINOR AND 3RD DEGREE SEX OFFENSE

On September 18, 2012, pursuant to a plea agreement with the State, Thomas J. McGuire, age 42, of Delmar, Maryland, and Nicole Crystal McGuire , age 28, of Delmar, Maryland, were each found guilty today by a Wicomico County Circuit Court Judge of one count of Sex Abuse of a Minor and one count of 3rd Degree Sex Offense.

At the hearing this morning, the State explained the contours of the plea agreement that it entered into with each Defendant. The plea agreement that was accepted by the court capped the active period of incarceration for each Defendant at 15 years; the State is free to ask for an additional suspended sentence for each Defendant (so long as the active portion and the suspended portion of the sentence do not exceed 35 years). In addition to explaining the plea, the prosecutor, ASA Pamela Correa, explained to the Court why the State was asking for a sentence that exceeded the Maryland Sentencing Guidelines for each Defendant.

Sentencing has been deferred for a pre-sentence investigation and for a mandatory mental health evaluation. Because each Defendant was found guilty of Sex Abuse of a Minor, both Defendants will have to register as sex offenders for the remainder of their natural lives.