Today in Baltimore, Maryland, 22-year-old Jalen Thomas Kelley of Abingdon, Maryland, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin. Following his prison term, Kelley will also serve five years of supervised release. Kelley was convicted by a federal jury on charges of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and assault on December 12, 2024, after a two-week trial.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Kelly O. Hayes, announced the sentence, along with William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Baltimore Field Office.
The evidence presented in the trial revealed that between January 1 and January 2, 2023, Kelley forcibly raped and assaulted a victim on board the Carnival Legend cruise ship. The vessel was due to return to Baltimore on January 2. In addition to these charges, six other individuals testified during the trial, alleging separate incidents of sexual assault by Kelley.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the FBI for their efforts in the investigation, as well as several other agencies including the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, Harford County Sherriff’s Office, Union County, North Carolina, District Attorney’s Office, Wingate University Campus Safety, and the Wingate Police Department for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn prosecuted the federal case.
This case was a part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative, launched in 2006, is led by the United States Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, utilizing resources from federal, state, and local levels.
Further information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc, where resources on Internet safety education are also available. Information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and its community resources can be accessed at www.justice.gov/usao-md.