Man in Maryland charged with sex crimes against children

GREENBELT, Maryland — A man is facing charges in Maryland for allegedly sexually abusing two children while he was working at a U.S. embassy abroad.

A federal grand jury indicted Fode Sitafa Mara, 39, on five counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, one count of coercion and enticement, and one count of obstruction of justice. The charges relate to the sexual abuse of two children in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

The charges were filed on June 6 and the first hearing took place on June 10 in Greenbelt.

According to the seven-count indictment, Mara, a diplomat who worked at the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, befriended a family that included two children, ages 13 and 15. Over a period of time, Mara is alleged to have bound, coerced and sexually abused the children. The sexual abuse and rape allegations are said to have occurred over a period of one year at Mara’s embassy headquarters.

If convicted, Mara faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in a federal prison.

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