FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
June 16, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY SCHOOL BUS DRIVER INDICTED FOR PRODUCTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Upper Marlboro Man Allegedly Sexually Exploited a Child to Produce Pornographic Videos
Greenbelt, Maryland - A federal grand jury has indicted Scott Smallwood, age 27, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, on seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor to produce child pornography.
The arrest was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein, Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Chief Roberto L. Hylton of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey.
According to the seven count indictment, on February 4 and February 12, 2010, Smallwood, formerly a Prince George’s County School bus driver, allegedly induced a young boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce a video file of such conduct. In four instances, the video allegedly depicts Smallwood sexually abusing the young boy.
Smallwood faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for producing child pornography, followed by supervised release up to life. No court appearance has been scheduled. Smallwood has been detained since his arrest on May 21, 2010.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Details about Maryland’s program are available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/Safe-Childhood/index.html.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacy Dawson Belf, who is prosecuting the case and commended Prince George’s County Assistant State’s Attorney Renee Battle Brooks who is assisting in the investigation and prosecution.