AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

AUGUST 10, 2007

FORMER BALTIMORE FIREFIGHTER PLEADS GUILTY TO DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY BY COMPUTER

Computer Contained 300 to 600 Sexually Explicit Images

Baltimore, Maryland - Angelo Sudano, age 32, of Joppa, Maryland, an employee of the Baltimore City Fire Department who has resigned from his job, pleaded guilty yesterday to distributing child pornography, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to the plea agreement, in December 2006 a concerned citizen complained to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office of receiving a video of child pornography via the computer. The individual had been in contact with Sudano by computer. On December 19, 2006 Sudano transmitted a video file depicting a prepubescent female having sexual intercourse with a male adult.

Sudano’s residence was searched on January 3, 2007. Between 300 to 600 images of child pornography were seized depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and/or the lascivious display of the minor’s genitalia. An Internet Relay Chat was also found on Sudano’s computers from which many of these images had been distributed and received. The video that the concerned citizen had received was located on Sudano’s computer.

Sudano faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, followed by supervised release for life. U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles has scheduled sentencing for October 29, 2007 at 1:00 p.m.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims.For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Harford County Advocacy Center for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie S. Greenberg, who is prosecuting the case.