Glen Burnie Man Indicted for Distribution, Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury indicted Lance Russell, age 43, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, on five counts each of distribution and receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. The indictment was returned late yesterday.

According to the indictment from December 6, 2006 through June 1, 2007, Russell distributed and received images of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct with adults on five separate occasions. The indictment further alleges that on June 8, 2007, when a search warrant was executed at his residence, Russell knowingly possessed images of child pornography.

Russell faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years, and a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by supervised release for life for distribution and receipt of child pornography and a maximum of 10 years in prison, followed by supervised release for life for possession of child pornography. No court appearance has been scheduled.

This case was brought as part of 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.

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.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for its investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie S. Greenberg, who is prosecuting the case.