Authorities said 18-year-old O'Brian James, of Fort Washington, has no previous criminal history, but he has disappeared after Prince George's County police charged him with a sexual assault that occurred in November.

"We'd like James to turn himself in to avoid compounding his problems," said Inspector Matt Burke, of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. "We take any kind of sex offense very seriously. We will definitely pursue James vigorously."

James has family in Jamaica, and there is a chance that he fled to that Caribbean island.

"Either way, we need help in developing leads here or in another country," Burke said.

James is described as 5-foot-6 and 180 pounds. Anyone with information about the teenager should contact the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force at 301-489-1717.

Since James doesn't have a criminal past, he is less likely to come into contact with police investigating other crimes, deputies said.

As a result, information developed from readers of The Washington Examiner becomes more important, Burke said.

Last week's "Most Wanted" fugitive, Timothy Harris, was captured Wednesday while following up on a domestic violence call in Capitol Heights. Harris jumped from a third-story window to avoid arrest and was captured by Prince George's County sheriff's deputies later Wednesday morning. He was wanted for an attempted murder charge for a shooting outside a Bladensburg nightclub.

His capture did not come from an Examiner tip.

Since 2008, federal authorities have credited readers of The Washington Examiner with the capture of 40 fugitives, including murderers, kidnappers, child sex offenders, rapists and scam artists.

At least eight captured fugitives were wanted on a homicide charge and/or were convicted killers.

Last month, a tip from a reader led directly to the capture of a convicted murderer who allegedly violated the terms of his parole.

smccabe@washingtonexaminer.com