A 31-year-old Maryland man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, plus lifetime supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to producing child pornography. The man was arrested in January 2013 after an investigation involving local and federal agencies.
The investigation revealed the man sexually molested a minor, then took photographs of a sexual nature of that minor and distributed the photos online. These incidents took place over a period of two years. The man’s live-in girlfriend provided the tip to police after finding evidence of child pornography.
The investigation revealed that the man was exchanging the photos he took with other people online for their own sexually explicit images of children. Other emails on his computer and texts on his phone revealed conversations with others regarding child pornography, with some emails dating back to 2008.
The man pled guilty to second-degree rape and a second-degree sex offense as a result of the investigation. The rape was a state charge and the sex offense was a federal charge. The sentences for both charges amounted to 40 years, and the state and federal sentences will be served at the same time.
Any kind of involvement with Internet child pornography or distribution of child pornography is a serious charge in Maryland. Life sentences are not unheard of in this type of case. Even if a defendant is eventually released from prison, lifetime registration as a sex offender may be required, and could impact that person’s ability to get jobs, education, and even housing in the future.
Anyone who is charged with Internet sex crimes involving children may want to consult an experienced attorney in this area to be sure all the processes and procedures are followed in a case, and that the defendant’s rights are protected.
Source: MyEasternShoreMD.com. “Federalsburg man gets 40-year federal sentence for child pornography,” Feb. 4, 2014.
