Salisbury man sentenced to 40 years for sex abuse of a minor

SALISBURY, Md. – A Salisbury man has been sentenced to four decades behind bars for sexually abusing a minor and other related offenses.

Earlier this year, 52-year-old Eric Paden pleaded guilty to sex abuse of a minor and three counts of third degree sex offense. Sentencing was deferred pending a pre-sentence investigation and mental health assessment.

The charges stem from an investigation that revealed that from January 2020 through December 2022, Paden sexually abused a minor under the age of 16.

Paden was sentenced last week to an active sentence of 40 years behind bars, with five years of supervised probation upon release. He will also be subject to 15 years of incarceration if he violates his probation.