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Who Is James Mark Blankenship?
James Mark Blankenship was working in Baltimore, Maryland, as a Police Officer in 2004 when he was first caught and arrested for abusing boys. Blankenship was 27 at the time of the arrest. His first arrest was at Dundalk Middle School, a public school in Baltimore, Maryland, where he served as a school resource officer. He was arrested on three felony counts and one misdemeanor charge after a brave young boy came forward and told investigators that Blankenship exploited his role as a police officer by luring him into his police car and sexually abusing the boy.
He had been employed in his role for two years before the first allegation and worked out of the North Point precinct for about four years.
The former North Point Precinct police officer who admitted having sexual intercourse with a male Dundalk Middle School student pled guilty in Baltimore County Circuit Court to one count of sexually abusing a minor and one count of misconduct in office. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Sept. 15, 2006, by Judge John G. Turnbull to serve two years supervised probation, register as a sex offender, and have no contact for two years with anyone younger than age 18.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Blankenship had two other victims: one was another student at Dundalk Middle School and another victim who did not attend the school. As part of the plea agreement, the charges against Blankenship for those two victims were dropped. Making his light sentence all the more reckless.
Ten years later, in 2015, Blankenship was arrested again for the same allegations. This time, he was living and working as a martial arts instructor in Delaware under the alias “Mark Hafer; to avoid having to tell anyone he was a registered sex offender in Maryland. He was charged with and convicted of two counts of sexual solicitation of a minor.
He now resides on both the Maryland and Delaware state sex offenders webpages and is living in Crumpton, Maryland.
When offenders are arrested and convicted with significant gaps between arrests, it is almost certain that there are many other victims out there. Blankenship surely did not start his predatory behavior with that first arrest, nor was he deterred from ceasing his predatory behavior, having been arrested a decade later for similar crimes.
How Can A Civil Lawsuit Help Victims Seek Justice For The Trauma They Experienced At The Hands James Mark Blankenship?
There are many misunderstandings about why a survivor of sexual abuse would choose to file a civil lawsuit. Child sexual abuse takes away so much from the survivors and families impacted, and, in our society, we are still struggling to find ways to repair the harm that has been done not only by individual perpetrators but also by organizations and institutions that have covered up child sexual abuse. Due to outdated statutes of limitations across our country, far too many survivors have been denied access to our courts for either criminal or civil justice.
Filing a civil case can be an essential step for survivors and their families in their journey to slowly rebuild their lives and create pathways to healing. Motivation for filing a civil suit is often questioned and unfairly stereotyped as being “all about money. The concept of filing a civil lawsuit casts survivors as “money hungry” and is weaponized to shame and blame them even more. This couldn’t be further from the truth for survivors of child sexual abuse. The civil justice system offers victims more than just monetary benefits. It gives survivors access to justice, validation, exposure, confrontation, and ultimately, some resolution that can allow the survivor of sexual abuse to fully understand and process what happened to them so they can begin to create a new path forward without confusion, questions, and fear.
Can I pursue a case against Blankenship or the Department?
Yes.
Maryland has a new law that eliminated the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits for child sexual abuse. If you were a victim of James Mark Blankenship, you can take action against the department for failing to protect you. The Department knew of this abuse and did nothing. This type of negligence has led to victims facing life-altering impacts of his sexual abuse. The Department can be held responsible for its failure to protect you.
Our firm believes more victims out there have not yet come forward. With Maryland’s new law allowing victims to come forth and hold offenders and institutions accountable, now is the time to come forward and seek justice.
If you were abused by James Mark Blankenship or another member of the church, our experienced sexual abuse lawyers could help you seek the justice you deserve. We know it can be hard to talk about these experiences, but our compassionate lawyers are here to listen and provide knowledgeable legal guidance. We provide free, confidential case evaluations where you can learn more about your rights and options under your state’s laws. Contact Andreozzi + Foote today.
