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A former employee at Maryland’s Charles H. Hickey Jr. School has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing 11 boys over more than two decades, the Baltimore Banner reports.
Ronald Neverdon, 80, worked for years at the juvenile detention facility, formerly known as the Maryland Training Center for Boys. Prosecutors said he abused boys in his custody between 1968 and 1991.
Neverdon pleaded guilty in August to 11 counts of child sexual abuse. He will also serve five years of supervised probation after his prison term.
Survivors Describe Abuse That Lasted for Decades
At sentencing, one survivor described meeting Neverdon after being sent to the facility as a teenager.
He said he initially trusted Neverdon before the abuse began.
Prosecutors said Neverdon used his position of authority to exploit boys in state custody, at times giving them cigarettes, alcohol or cannabis and threatening to extend their stays or make life harder if they did not comply with his demands.
The judge described the conduct as “monstrous.”
Civil Lawsuit Alleges 69 Boys Were Abused
The criminal case involves 11 survivors, but a separate civil lawsuit alleges that Neverdon sexually abused 69 boys while working at the facility.
That lawsuit, filed against the state of Maryland and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, alleges that officials failed to protect children and allowed the abuse to continue.
The civil case remains pending.
The lawsuit is especially significant because it shifts some of the focus from Neverdon’s individual conduct to the role of the institution responsible for supervising him and protecting the boys in its custody.
Police Investigation Began in 2024
Baltimore County Police began investigating Neverdon in 2024.
The criminal case eventually resulted in 11 child sexual abuse charges and his guilty plea.
Six survivors attended the sentencing along with the lead detective.
The sentencing closes the criminal case against Neverdon, but the broader civil litigation over what Maryland officials knew and whether they failed to act is still unresolved.
Case Adds to Scrutiny of Abuse in Juvenile Detention Facilities
The Neverdon case is another example of how alleged abuse in juvenile detention settings can remain hidden for decades before survivors come forward.
Youth in custody can be especially vulnerable because staff control where they live, what privileges they receive and how long they remain confined.
Civil lawsuits involving juvenile facilities often focus not only on the person accused of abuse, but also on whether the government agency responsible for the facility ignored warning signs, failed to supervise staff or allowed dangerous conditions to persist.
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