07 Jan Baltimore County firefighter facing child pornography charges

On behalf of Jack B. Rubin, PA posted in Internet Crimes on Monday, January 7, 2013.

Being charged with Internet crimes can detrimentally affect the career and personal life of anyone accused. For someone who works in the public eye, like a firefighter, such an accusation can hit even harder. One Baltimore County firefighter accused of child pornography charges is perhaps discovering this. Authorities have filed three counts of producing and possessing child pornography against this Maryland firefighter.

Officials allege that the 23-year-old man enticed two minors, both boys, to perform sexually explicit actions so that he could make two videos of their conduct. They further claim that he was later found to have the videos in his possession, along with other items that they say depicted child pornography. A federal grand jury recently indicted the man on the charges.

A conviction on the charges this firefighter is facing could result in a sentence of as much as 30 years in prison for each of the two counts of producing child pornography and 10 years for the charge of possession. He would also face a lifetime of supervised release after incarceration. While these charges are certainly serious in nature, community members should remember that accusations do not equate to a conviction.

This Baltimore County firefighter deserves the same right to presumed innocence that all citizens are guaranteed. Not every defendant accused of child pornography or any other charge has actually committed the acts that officials allege. This is one of the main reasons American law requires that the presumption of innocence be extended to defendants until such a time as prosecutors overcome the burden of proof that is rightfully placed with them and a conviction is obtained.

Source: Essex-Middle River Patch, “County Firefighter Charged with Producing, Possessing Child Porn,” Janet Metzner, Dec. 21, 2012

Tags: Internet crimes, child pornography, possession, production