From the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Baltimore:
U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Charles Hand, age 68, of Aberdeen, Maryland, late yesterday to 14 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for distribution of child pornography in relation to his association with an internet-based child pornography website dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of child pornography, the discussion of pedophilia, and the sexual abuse of children. Judge Bennett also ordered that, upon Hand’s release from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender in the places 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 Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
“Charles Hand not only facilitated and perpetuated the abuse of children by posting—and helping others to post—child sex abuse material on an internet website dedicated to the sexual abuse of children, but he also exposed himself and engaged in lascivious behavior with at least one child victim. Hopefully, this sentence will deter others who advocate and participate in the abuse of children. I am extremely proud of the work done by dedicated and diligent agents and prosecutors that led to the prosecution and conviction of Hand, who facilitated such horrendous abuse,” said United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron.
According to his guilty plea, between October 2020 and December 2020, Hand repeatedly distributed child pornography files on a child pornography website to multiple individuals, including to an undercover FBI agent during online chats. During the chats, Hand repeatedly discussed his sexual interest in children and his desire to sexually abuse them. Hand repeatedly posted child pornography to certain areas of the website which required users to post a certain number of files of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct to the site.
On at least three instances, the undercover FBI agent downloaded child sex abuse material that Hand posted, including several videos of prepubescent girls between four and eight-years-old being sexually abused by adult males. During conversations with the undercover agent, Hand also discussed his own sexual activity with a minor child and his wife divorcing him as a result.
As stated in his plea agreement, on March 3, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hand’s residence, seizing multiple electronic devices, including two computers, a digital camera, and a SD card. Hand used the computers to download, upload, possess, and distribute child pornography, including on the child pornography website. Hand possessed a total of more than 117,000 images and videos of child pornography on the two computers, including numerous depictions of sadistic or masochistic conduct, depictions of prepubescent minors in bondage, and bestiality involving prepubescent minors.
Additionally, one computer contained over 9,000 records concerning a known victim of child pornography whose real identity had become known by other pedophiles. That folder contained images of the victim being sexually abused, numerous articles and records about her, her parents, her participation in high school sports, non-pornographic photos of her taken from social media platforms, court records concerning her abuser, and the federal prosecution of the abuser. Hand also possessed a publication that described how to have sex with children without getting caught and approximately 2,800 “stories” related to sexual activity with children, many of which were written from the perspective of a pedophile.
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 Attorney’s 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 Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley and Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
Is anyone else wondering why our schools have books that pedophiles use to groom children? Why do we have to have a discussion why we don’t want our children discussing sex? What type of teachers do we have that are comfortable talking to children and asking questions that have nothing to do with learning but everything to do with sex? How is a person doing time for possession of child porn but a teacher can discuss this crap with our children? Disgusting?? or Acceptable??
Exactly what titles are on the shelves of HCPS schools that fit this description? Which buildings are they located in? How long have they been there? What specific teachers are you referring to? What schools do they teach at? What exactly are they discussing? What evidence do you have of all this, or any of this? If you have evidence why have you not turned over otherwise illegal activity to the authorities? These accusatory questions – frankly – are more suspicious than the accusations they imply or express themselves.
There are a number of us that have been watching the county council meetings. Did you see the woman who was led out by police for reading what our kids read?
If you missed the point many parents find this disgusting not acceptable. Maybe there are just as many in these times that find this acceptable and not disgusting.
Which county council meeting did this happen at? What date?
Again, you made specific reference that HCPS has books on the shelves and teachers have participated in otherwise illegal activity with children.
What books? Please provide titles and authors that you have seen.
Which schools? Please provide the names of the schools.
Which teachers? Please provide specific names of teachers engaging in this activity.
Have you reported this to HCSO or MSP, yet? If not, why not? If so, did they begin an investigation?
You have made serious accusations in a public forum. You have used a very wide brush without citing anything specific. You cite an event from the Harford County Council meeting I cannot verify. Thus, either you are making this up, you are just creating click bait, or are trying to gaslight this forum.
Please just provide substance to your statements.
I believe it was in Howard County.
The books shown are not all for teaching. One has cartoons of different couples having graphic (all are in bed and nude) sex.
Another has written experiences of a gay teen and his first experiences.
It is very detailed, the way a romance novel love scene would be. Detailed descriptions of each activity and body part and physical/emotional feelings too. And it seems to be an older person that was involved with him.
I believe this is what is being read by parents at council meetings. And it is not appropriate for public meetings!
I do not know which schools this is in, or which teachers have talked about/read it.
A simple Google search should bring it all up.
I did look it up, seems a complaint was filed last November. The article I found cited the Board of Education did not authorize their use and an investigation was ongoing, but seemingly not updated since then.
The original commentator specifically asked if I had seen the woman escorted from a county council meeting. I had not and could not find ANY reference to support it. And rather than sharing the source of this rather explosive accusation the same person latently accuses/suspects I’m fine with that material being shared with kids. I do not.
However, I also do not like blanket accusations without some supporting documentation offered in a public forum – any private for that matter as well – that is meant little more than to stir up trouble where evidence does not support it exists. It is irresponsible.
Harford County produces such upstanding citizens don’t they? Yet another reason to move out of that County and close bases like Aberdeen Proving Ground.