Army National Guardsman Arrested For Possession Of 12,000+ Child Porn Images

When people get into child pornography, they may collect dozens or maybe even a few hundred images. Then there are those who go to extremes and collect thousands of photos of children in sexually explicit poses.

This was what an Army National Guardsman from Maryland did. He amassed more than 12,000 child porn images. The 38-year-old man, who also served as a police officer, pled guilty to the charges after detectives found 12,300 images on his electronic devices.

While working for the National Guard and the Rockville Police Department, the Frederick man used a file sharing network called BitTorrent to procure illegal images. Between September 2020 and January 2021, the man repeatedly distributed child pornography to undercover law enforcement officers. In 2020, on four separate occasions, investigators found that the devices associated with man’s IP address has downloaded and shared eight packages of child pornography.

In March 2021, the national guardsman received a tip that federal law enforcement officers wanted to interview him. Law enforcement officials showed up the next day to execute various search warrants. At the time, the man was activated as a guardsman at a vaccination site at Six Flags America, located in Bowie, Maryland.

Law enforcement officials found various forms of evidence, including a smartphone that had been recently factory reset and erased. The  man admitted that he threw out his computer once he found out he was going to get a visit from law enforcement, which showed an attempt to impede the investigation. Investigators performed a forensic exam of the man’s devices and discovered more than 12,300 images depicting  child pornography and erotica. Of those, more than 200 images showed infants and toddlers being sexually abused. Nearly 100 images depicted sadomasochistic conduct.

The national guardsman was arrested on May 14, 2021. He was released the same day on several conditions. He was not allowed to leave Maryland. He was ordered to get mental health treatment and stay away from all minors except his own child. Prosecutors were hopeful to avoid trial with a plea deal.

The man faces up to 20 years in prison. Once he serves his sentence, he must serve the rest of his life on supervised release. He faces sentencing on September 8. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice in an effort to fight child sexual abuse.

Contact a Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney Today

Being accused of a child pornography crime is no laughing matter. Such a charge can impact every part of your life, from your employment to your housing to your relationships.

Don’t handle these charges on your own. Seek legal help from a Columbia child pornography lawyer from The Law Offices of Todd K. Mohink, P.A. We’ll help you pursue the best outcome possible. Fill out the online form or call (410) 774-5987 to schedule a free consultation. We have two offices to serve you.

Source:

military.com/daily-news/2022/06/02/maryland-guardsman-pleads-guilty-child-porn-after-police-find-12300-images.html