Baltimore, Maryland – Kevin Graham Conlon, age 30, of Cockeysville, Maryland, is facing federal charges for production of child pornography; and for receipt and distribution of child pornography, conspiracy to receive and distribute, and attempting to receive and distribute child pornography. The court documents allege that Conlon posed as an 18-year-old woman to obtain photos and videos of a minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct, then sent those photos and videos to others when the victim stopped sending photos and blocked his account.

The charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to the affidavit and exhibits filed in support of the criminal complaint, on August 8, 2016, the FBI received a complaint from the mother of a 16-year-old minor female concerning the minor’s online relationship with the Facebook user “xxx W” (W), described as an 18-year-old blond female. The complaint alleges that W is believed to be Conlon. According to the court documents, W and the victim frequently communicated over Facebook messenger. Over time, Conlon, posing as W, convinced the victim to take a nude pictures of herself and send them to W, assuring the victim that the photos were immediately deleted after being viewed.

After the victim blocked W on Facebook, Conlon allegedly opened several Facebook profiles in the victim’s name, and without her permission. These unauthorized accounts “friended” many of the victim’s friends and sent them the sexually explicit photos of the victim that were originally sent to W.

On January 6, 2017, search warrants were executed at Conlon’s home, on his vehicle and on his person. According to the affidavit, Investigators located Conlon’s cellular phone in his bedroom and images of the victim were found in the photo gallery on the phone, as well as in a Dropbox account associated with Conlon’s email address.

If convicted, Conlon faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison for production of child pornography; and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography. An initial appearance was held on January 9, 2017, in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Conlon was ordered to be detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday, January 12, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark J. Coulson.

A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who is prosecuting the federal case.