State Employee Faces Child Porn Charges

Viewing child porn may seem like a harmless action, but it is a serious crime that can lead to harsh penalties. Unfortunately, people of all walks of life are drawn to these images, including senior citizens and government employees.

A 70-year-old state employee has been charged with child porn possession after he was caught with sexually explicit images of children on his work laptop. The Baltimore County man, who has been an employee of the Department of General Services since 1999, faces eight years in state prison. He was charged on May 1 and is awaiting a jury trial.

The man was arrested after a co-worker noticed that he was acting strangely. The co-worker actually saw the man search for child porn and alleged that the man could have been viewing child porn on his work laptop for several years. The co-worker, who called police on February 1, noticed that the man who go from his work computer to his personal computer throughout the day. He would keep his personal laptop hidden from others and would close the display when anyone approached. He did this for the past several years.

Investigators from Maryland State Police searched the man’s computer on March 28. They found images of children engaging in sexual activity. They also searched the man’s internet activity and found searches for child porn.

The Department of Homeland Security later joined the case and searched electronic devices such as the man’s personal laptop, USB memory drives and several hard drives. The man denied using his work computer to look at child pornography. He also denied saving or distributing child porn images, but did admit that he often used Google, and would look at child porn “if it came up.” He claims to not remember any websites he visited or search terms he used.

The man has been charged with sex offenses before. In 1996, he was charged with several sex crimes after showing pornographic magazines to minor boys, touching their genitals and playing strip poker with them.

State vs. Federal Child Porn Charges

Under Maryland state law, child porn refers to sexually explicit images of children under the age of 16. This means children engaged in sexual activity, children who are sexually aroused and sadomasochism.

However, under federal law, child porn refers to images of children who are under the age of 18 and engaged in sexual activity. These images may include photos and videos, as well as undeveloped film and images stored electronically.

Due to these differences in age, if the minor in question is 16 or 17 years old, it is possible for a person to face federal charges for child porn possession but not state charges.

Contact a Maryland Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

Child porn charges are very serious. Viewing and storing images on a computer or other electronic device can result in felony charges, which can result in significant jail time and other consequences.

Don’t try to handle these charges on your own. The Columbia criminal lawyers at the Law Offices of Todd K. Mohink, P.A. can provide you with the aggressive representation you need. To schedule a free consultation, call (410) 774-5987 or fill out the online form.

Resource:

baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-county/bs-md-ci-stephen-cormack-child-pornography-20190618-story.html

https://www.marylandlawhelp.com/what-to-do-if-you-are-arrested/