The Anne Arundel County state's attorney's office might ask an outside prosecutor to pursue the criminal charges against an Annapolis mayoral candidate accused of grabbing the crotch of a male Naval Academy midshipman during a late-night encounter in a car last week.
Two employees of the county prosecutor's office are Annapolis aldermen who serve with Samuel E. Shropshire, 61, a Democrat accused on Tuesday of fondling a midshipman whom he has known since 2007.
Shropshire was charged with second-degree assault and a fourth-degree sex offense, both misdemeanors, in allegations referred to Annapolis police by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The Ward 7 representative called the accusations a "lie" at a news conference Wednesday.
Assistant State's Attorney Frederick Paone and chief investigator David Cordle are Republican aldermen. Cordle has also declared his mayoral candidacy.
Anne Arundel state's attorney spokeswoman Kristin Fleckenstein said the office was not involved in preparing the charges but will consider turning to a special prosecutor from another jurisdiction to avoid appearances of a conflict.
Shropshire said the allegation is "untrue, it's unfounded and it's unfair," adding that he "did not take part in the actions I am accused of, and I know I will be found innocent."
He declined to say if he would suspend the mayoral campaign he launched earlier this year. His lawyer, prominent defense attorney Gill Cochran, said "all decisions right now are on hold" about the alderman's political future.
According to a police charging document, a 21-year-old man was in a car with Shropshire about 11:15 p.m. on May 14 near Rowe Boulevard and Taylor Avenue, a main intersection near the academy's football stadium. According to the report, Shropshire "reached over and placed his hand on [the man's] crotch and grabbed his genitals." After he "manipulated" them for about "30 seconds," the report said, the man "pushed Shropshire's hand off his genitals and back across the car." Shropshire placed his hand there again, and when the man asked what Shropshire was doing, "Shropshire apologized," the documents said.
The young man was let out of the car, the report said. The Baltimore Sun is not publishing his name due to the nature of the allegations.
The charging documents state that the accuser has known Shropshire since fall 2007.
Cochran, the attorney, has acknowledged that the accuser is a Naval Academy student who was sponsored by Shropshire as part of a program that pairs Annapolis families with midshipmen to offer a break from the rigors of life at the academy.
While Shropshire wrote in a 2007 constituent newsletter that he has sponsored many midshipmen over more than two decades, an academy representative said in an e-mail Wednesday that "as a result of this ongoing investigation, he is no longer a member of the sponsor program."
Cochran said Shropshire was taking the midshipman back to the Academy Thursday night. He declined to comment on reports that the two had previously had drinks, and would not comment on whether the young man had any motivation for making false accusations.
Academy rules say that a midshipman of legal drinking age on "liberty status," as the midshipman was, is permitted to have alcohol.
The allegations surfaced during commissioning week, a festive time for midshipmen who are graduating Friday and their families.
At the news conference, Shropshire said he did not want this issue to overshadow the celebrations and accomplishments of more than 1,000 midshipmen.
Shropshire is among a group of seven Democrats and two Republicans seeking to succeed Democratic Mayor Ellen O. Moyer, who is prevented by term limits from seeking re-election.
Moyer issued a statement in support of Shropshire on Wednesday, saying "his dedication and commitment to his council seat is appreciated during these trying times and I ask the public to allow Alderman Shropshire the legal courtesy of presumed innocence during this process."
Nick Berry, chairman of the Annapolis Democratic Central Committee, said he would reserve judgment against Shropshire, adding "if he is exonerated on this and wins the primary, we'll be happy to support him."
Dan Nataf, a political science professor at Anne Arundel Community College and director of the Center for the Study of Local Issues, said Shropshire has been considered a legitimate contender for mayor because of his name recognition and position as an office-holder.
He joined the council in 2005, and pushed for a ban on plastic bags (a measure that was defeated) and a letter of apology from the city government for its participation in the slave trade.
"This is clearly, at best, a distraction," said Nataf. "At worst this is something that will hover around his candidacy. It becomes a cloud on his campaign."
Shropshire is the second elected official in the county who is the focus of sexual allegations in recent months.
