FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. — A 40-year-old man is in custody in Kansas on charges of three counts of rape stemming from 2021 case in Frederick County, Maryland.
Todd Wivell, spokesperson for the Frederick County Sheriff's Office said Leif Derek Truitt of Austin, Texas, was arrested on February 7 for the crime. Now, authorities in Frederick County are looking for other potential victims.
Last year, Frederick County Sheriff's Office detectives received a sexual assault complaint from an underage girl in the county. Through the course of the investigation, detectives learned that Truitt, who posed as a teenager, allegedly met with the girl several times for sex.
With the help of the Department of Homeland Security, agencies in Kansas and Texas, and the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, officers detained Truitt without incident. For Frederick County, his charges include three counts of second-degree rape, Wivell said.
Investigators say that even though Truitt is in custody, the case is not closed.
“We want to alert our public to this incident in the event there are other victims,” said Lt. Andy Crone, FCSO Criminal Investigations Section commander. “Our case is still an open investigation and we encourage anyone who feels there were victimized to come forward.”
Court records show Truitt will be in Kansas court on February 17. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also charged Truitt federally for production of child pornography and for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Truitt is expected to have an initial appearance on the federal charges in the coming weeks.
The sheriff's office asks anyone who may have information about this case, or who believes they were a victim, to contact FCSO Detective Rowe at 301-748-7898 or by email at jrowe@frederickcountymd.gov.
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