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Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Brian Shaw, age 23, of Lutherville, Maryland, today to 7 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for distribution and possession of child pornography. Judge Blake ordered that upon his release from prison, Shaw must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
According to court documents and testimony at today’s sentencing hearing, from December 18, 2012 through January 12, 2013, Shaw distributed images and videos documenting the sexual abuse of children, including prepubescent minors, to an undercover agent with HSI New Orleans. A search warrant was obtained for Shaw’s email account. From November 26, 2011 through January 29, 2013, Shaw’s email contained approximately 2140 emails, most of which referenced the trade of child pornography over the internet and the sexual exploitation of children. Upon the creation of the account, Shaw immediately began emailing others to trade child pornography files. In addition to attaching hundreds of videos and images of child pornography, Shaw also sent links for file sharing services in his email, which gave access to child pornography files.
Based on the evidence in Shaw’s emails, HSI obtained a search warrant for his residence. Law enforcement seized and subsequently forensically examined Shaw’s computer and other digital media. Approximately 5860 images and 562 videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, as well as stories describing sex acts with children in graphic detail, were located during the forensic analysis. Some of the images included sadistic or masochistic conduct, or other depictions of violence, and depicted children under the age of 12.
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 HSI Baltimore for its work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who prosecuted the case.