A Maryland man faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to 14 charges regarding him traveling to Lancaster from New York to meet up with a minor for sex.

Mirza Ahmed, 30 of Catonsville, Maryland, was sentenced by Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker to 8 to 20 years in prison on December 22, 2022.

Ahmed pleaded guilty on March 28, 2022, to two charges of statutory sexual assault, two charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, two charges of aggravated indecent assault, two charges of indecent assault, two charges of unlawful contact with a minor, two charges of corruption of minors, one charge of photographing/filming/depicting a sex act with a minor, and one charge of disseminating a photographed/filmed sex act with a minor.

Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick prosecuted the case and pointed out how this crime was “as intentional, premeditated, and planned as you can get.”

The defendant argued he had head trauma as a child and acts impulsively.

On December 19, 2020, East Lampeter Township Police met with the mother of the victim who relayed she discovered her 13-year-old daughter to be in a sexual relationship with an older male, Ahmed, who the victim met online.

Ahmed had traveled from New York to Columbia to pick up the victim and took her to a room at the Spruce Lane Lodge and Cottages on two occasions in November and December of 2020. Ahmed asked the victim to bring a friend on the second occasion, who witnessed the assaults.

Police arrested Ahmed when he traveled to Lancaster a third time to meet the victim in February 2021. Cell phone and hotel records showed lewd text messages between Ahmed and the victim, and that Ahmed rented the hotel room. The defendant filmed certain sex acts and sent them to the victim.

East Lampeter Township Detective Christopher Jones filed charges.

YWCA Lancaster runs a 24-hour sexual assault hotline, 717-392-7273, that connects callers to free, confidential counseling and therapy services for community members impacted by sexual abuse, harassment, or assault.

Lancaster County's designated rape crisis center at the YWCA Lancaster provides no cost counseling and therapy for survivors and significant others impacted by sexual abuse, harassment, or assault. Contact 717-869-5009 or wehearyou@ywcalancaster.org for more information or to schedule an appointment.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.