"Every Parent's Nightmare:" 55-Year-Old Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Two Eight-Year-Old Girls

ARBUTUS — A 55-year-old man who grabbed two 8-year-old girls as they played outside an apartment complex last year was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison.

Douglas James Orem Jr. originally was charged with attempting to kidnap the girls but was acquitted of those charges after a bench trial in July. Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Charles Peters found him guilty of two counts of second-degree assault.

Orem's address is listed as Maiden Choice Lane, Baltimore, in court records. In court, he said he lives in Virginia and was in the area visiting family.

Orem grabbed one girl from behind in the courtyard of an Arbutus apartment complex and seemingly tried to lead her away. Her 4-year-old twin brothers and another boy pulled her away from him. A short time later, the second girl’s mother heard her scream, found Orem on top of her daughter, and pulled him off. Orem had a knife with him but did not threaten the children with it. When police arrived, he displayed the sheathed knife and threatened to cut an officer.

On Wednesday, Peters imposed a sentence well above state sentencing guidelines, saying the case involved vulnerable young children who would be affected by the attacks for years.

“I have no doubt this particular incident will impact these two girls for the rest of their lives,” Peters said. “I can’t think of anything that would be more traumatizing than what happened here.”

One of the girls and her little brother testified at Orem's trial. Their parents were both home that Friday morning as the kids played hide-and-go-seek and tag with other children within view of their apartment Aug. 8, 2025. Their security camera caught images of Orem and some of his interactions with the children.

Her step-father told Peters that his children no longer play outside their apartment on Hooper Avenue without a parent present.

“I just have a more protective wing over my family now and just give everything a second thought,” he said. “I second-guess everything that involves outside with our kids now.”

Assistant State’s Attorney Natalie Scurto called what happened “every parent’s nightmare” and said Orem destroyed the neighborhood’s sense of safety. The second girl’s family moved back to El Salvador within two months of the incident, she said.

In a letter to the judge before sentencing, Orem attributed the incident to his struggles with addiction and apologized for his “mistakes.”

“There was nothing about his actions that could possibly be viewed as a mistake,” Scurto said. “Even now after being found guilty, he is still not taking accountability for his actions.”

After the first girl was pulled away from Orem, she ran inside and told her parents what had happened. When she looked out a window a short time later, she saw Orem on top of another 8-year-old girl who had been walking her dog.

The second girl told police Orem approached her, told her to stay still and pushed her from behind, causing her to fall. She screamed, and her mother ran outside, pulled Orem off her and called 911.

An officer later encountered Orem near a wooded area holding the sheathed knife. Body-camera video showed Orem refusing commands to drop it and telling the officer, “I’m going to cut you.” Police used a Taser to take him into custody.

At trial, Orem admitted grabbing the first girl but denied trying to kidnap either child. He said several young boys had been playfully hitting and kicking him and that he eventually grabbed their sister because he thought it would make them stop.

Orem said he later lost his balance and fell onto the second girl, and that back problems and other injuries made it difficult for him to get up.

Peters called that explanation “beyond preposterous” but ruled prosecutors had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Orem intended to kidnap the first girl.

Defense attorney Amy Stone said Orem developed a substance abuse problem after he was shot in 1998. She said most of his criminal history consists of older, nonviolent theft and drug possession convictions. Orem also has a 1996 conviction for fourth-degree sex offense. Stone said that case involved a person who lived in his home and noted that the conviction was 30 years old.

Stone asked Peters for a sentence within state guidelines of two months to four years.

Peters said he saw only two possible outcomes had Orem not been stopped — physical or sexual abuse.

“He came into that courtyard intent on assaulting a small young girl,” Peters said. “I don’t know what would have happened after that. I just know it would be very traumatizing and awful.”

Peters sentenced Orem to 10 years on the first assault count, the maximum allowed by law. On the second count, he imposed another 10-year sentence, suspended all but five years and ordered the five years to be served consecutively, for a total of 15 years of active incarceration.

Upon his release, Orem will serve five years of probation under Maryland’s COMET program, a specialized form of supervision primarily used for people convicted of sexual offenses.