BALTIMORE — A former detention worker who sexually abused nearly a dozen incarcerated boys in Baltimore County was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison.

Ronald P. Neverdon, 80, pleaded guilty in mid-August to 11 counts of child sexual abuse, accepting responsibility for misconduct that spanned 18 years within Maryland’s juvenile justice system. He was initially indicted on 117 charges.

Baltimore County Circuit Judge Robert Cahill Jr. called Neverdon’s conduct “monstrous” and said he was “praying” no other case matched its scale.

From the 1960s through the 1990s, Neverdon held various positions at the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School near Loch Raven. He later worked as a substitute teacher.

Prosecutors said Neverdon used his positions as a housing supervisor and manager at the detention facility to offer children “special privileges” in exchange for sexually exploiting them.

“This was pervasive. This was predatory behavior. This was constant behavior,” prosecutor John Magee said during Tuesday’s hearing.

Members of Neverdon’s family and religious community spoke on his behalf, praising what they described as his commitment to helping others and his efforts to atone for and learn from his actions.

Citing Neverdon’s age and health problems, they asked Cahill to consider his rehabilitation and allow him to serve his sentence on home detention.

“He would like to continue a life of service, even if he has to endure the indignities that he has earned,” they wrote in a joint statement.

Cahill firmly rejected any sentence that did not include prison time, saying he would provide “none of that.” A correctional facility could address Neverdon’s medical needs, the judge said.

Defense attorney Tony Garcia, who told the court that he could not say anything better than the family’s letter, could not immediately be reached for comment after the hearing.

Allegations against Neverdon have formed the basis of at least 70 civil claims against the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, which has faced more child sexual abuse lawsuits than any other agency or organization since Maryland eliminated the deadline for filing such claims.

After Neverdon’s plea, two Baltimore County lawmakers called for an investigation into whether warning signs were missed or ignored. Civil lawsuits involving Neverdon have extended the alleged timeline of his abuse from 11 years to three decades. Many describe the abuse as an open secret.

Sharon Iskra, an attorney with Bailey Glasser who represents multiple claimants in cases involving Neverdon, said the lawsuits are in discovery. Neverdon will probably be questioned under oath by year’s end, she said.

Asked whether Tuesday’s sentence delivered justice, Iskra said, “It’s a good start.”

The criminal investigation began in spring 2024, when six men who had been held at the Hickey School told Baltimore County Police detectives about the abuse, according to charging documents.

More men came forward over the next year, and Neverdon ultimately pleaded guilty to abusing nearly twice as many people as had initially pursued prosecution.

One of the two victims who testified Tuesday, identified by the state as E.C., addressed the court in handcuffs.

“This has been a long time coming,” he began.

E.C. said he had been unable to hold a job, maintain a lasting relationship or start a family after his time at the Hickey School. More than 40 years of heroin and alcohol abuse, along with four back-to-back periods of incarceration, had made him a “lifetime loser,” he said.

“I am a victim of yours, and I will be until the day I die,” E.C. told Neverdon. “I am a prisoner of yours and will be until the day I die.”

Shortly before imposing the sentence, Cahill told the courtroom that he was the judge who had sentenced E.C. to prison for the rest of his “natural life.”

The judge recalled telling his wife that E.C.’s intelligence and potential had been obvious. He “could have done well,” Cahill said, adding that he previously had not understood what held E.C. back.

“Now we know why he didn’t,” Cahill said.

Upon his release, Neverdon will serve five years of supervised probation.

He will not be required to register as a sex offender because the registry law did not exist when he committed the crimes.

________

©2026 The Baltimore Sun. Visit at baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.