On Monday, May 1, 2023, Todd Yates, age 62, of Berlin, Maryland, was sentenced to 20 years in the Division of Correction for his convictions on one count of third-degree sex offense and one count of second-degree assault. The Honorable Brian D. Shockley of the Worcester County Circuit Court ordered Yates to serve 10 years on each count, consecutively, and suspended 7 years of that sentence. Yates was placed on 5 years of supervised probation upon release and will be required to register as a Tier III lifetime sex offender and provide a DNA sample.
The charges arose as a result of police being dispatched to a residence located in Ocean Pines, Maryland on June 5, 2022. Investigation revealed that Yates had sexually assaulted a female victim while she was sleeping over at her friend’s home. The victim told officers she was able to fight Yates off of her and run to a neighbor’s house to contact police. Officers from the Ocean Pines Police Department collected multiple evidentiary items from the residence and the victim was transported to Atlantic General Hospital for a SAFE exam, which revealed that she had suffered multiple injuries as a result of the attack. Officers then made contact with Yates and placed him under arrest.
Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser thanked Detective Bailey of the Ocean Pines Police Department for his comprehensive investigation, and thanked the compassionate nurses and caregivers at Atlantic General Hospital, including their team of certified SAFE nurses, for their critical assistance in the investigation. Heiser also recognized Assistant State’s Attorney’s Pamela Correa, who prosecuted the case.
