A Jarrettsville, Maryland, man will be imprisoned for 12 years, listed as a registered sex offender and monitored by police for the rest of his life. The 43-year-old recently pleaded guilty in federal court to child pornography charges.
According to U.S. prosecutors, the man possessed more than 185 videos and 650 images of undressed women and children. The pornography was discovered by police on CDs, DVDs and on the man’s computers at home and at Aberdeen Proving Ground, where the man was an employee.
The Jarrettsville man was charged with multiple counts related to the possession and manufacture of child pornography, much of which he obtained while allegedly photographing and filming unwitting subjects in their homes. Last year, Harford County police responded to a call that a man was peeping through a window, filming a teenage girl.
According to police records, the accused was overheard talking on the phone after police had taken him into custody. The man was allegedly instructing someone to erase his Facebook profile.
The man’s April 2010 arrest first led to state charges that were replaced by federal ones after it was discovered that the pornographic images were on his work computer, which was on federal property.
A handful of the children and at least one adult female filmed have been identified. Police say many other victims could not be named because the filmed images did not reveal their faces.
Prosecutors say all of the minor victims who were identified were students at the same school. In some cases, victims were filmed over a period of years. One female was the unknowing subject of over 60 videos and 155 photos over four year’s time.
Being arrested for Internet crimes like child pornography can be extremely overwhelming. You may suddenly be facing the loss of your job, social ostracism and possibly years in jail. However, it is important to remember that under U.S. law, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. In these cases, speaking to an experienced defense attorney who understands the complexities of Internet crimes may be helpful in determining your options going forward. Speak to a Detroit police misconduct attorney today to learn more about these types of cases.