11 Maryland Residents Arrested For Child Porn Crimes

Child pornography is on the rise and as such, law enforcement officials are trying to find ways to crack down on this crime and arrest those who engage in it. Many officers and detectives perform stings and other elaborate investigations to make a point that child porn will not be tolerated.

A recent child porn investigation in Maryland has led to 11 arrests. Howard County police arrested eight adults and three minors and charged them with child porn possession or distribution. The suspects had been involved with child porn since at least July 2020.

Law enforcement officials began their investigation after receiving numerous tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Since July 2020, they have performed more than a dozen investigations. They have executed 23 search and seizure warrants and seized at least 160 electronic devices. During the searches, police discovered that some of the suspects were in possession of more than a thousand child porn images and videos.

Eleven people were arrested in total. They include the following:

• A 28-year-old man from Clarksville—charged with 10 counts of child porn possession
• A 30-year-old man from Glenwood—charged with nine counts of child porn possession
• A 21-year-old man from Laurel—charged with three counts of child porn distribution and four counts of child porn possession
• A 19-year-old man from Ellicott City—charged with one count of child porn possession
• A 19-year-old man from Elkridge—charged with five counts of child porn possession
• A 31-year-old man from Columbia—charged with five counts of child porn possession
• A 20-year-old man from Ellicott City—pled guilty to two counts of child porn possession, sentenced to five years of probation
• A 33-year-old man from Columbia—indicted on four counts of child porn possession
• Three juveniles, ages 14, 16, and 17—charged with one count of child porn possession

When a Minor is Charged With Crimes

In Maryland, when a person under the age of 18 commits a crime, they are treated differently than adults. They will go through the juvenile justice system and may be diverted to a special program. They may be forced to undergo treatment or counseling.

However, there are exceptions. Juveniles can be charged as adults in Maryland in some cases. For example, a child who is over the age of 14 and commits a violent crime like murder or rape will be charged with a felony. Teens who are 16 or 17 can also face adult charges for some offenses, such as child porn possession.

Contact a Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney Today

Hiding behind a computer won’t keep you from being arrested for child porn crimes. Detectives have many tricks to determine who is using their computer to view, download, and transmit child porn.

Prosecutors will often push for maximum penalties in these crimes. For a strong defense, seek legal help from the Columbia child pornography lawyers at The Law Offices of Todd K. Mohink, P.A. Schedule a consultation by calling (410) 774-5987 or filling out the online form. We have two offices to serve you.

Resource:

baltimore.cbslocal.com/2021/04/09/11-charged-in-howard-county-child-porn-cases/