Judge declines request to place child porn case on inactive docket

One of the cases against a former youth soccer coach charged with distributing child pornography and making hidden-camera videos of a girl was continued Thursday in Washington County Circuit Court.

Washington County Circuit Judge Donald E. Beachley declined a request by Deputy State's Attorney Joseph Michael to place the child pornography distribution and possession case against Roger Allen Repp III on the inactive docket.

Michael made the request, telling Beachley that federal authorities also are looking into Repp's case for possible prosecution. The U.S. Attorney's Office could take over if the charges against Repp are not resolved by the end of the year, Michael said.

He also said that if placed on the inactive docket, the case could be recalled by the state for prosecution at any time within a year for prosecution.

Beachley objected to placing the child pornography case on the inactive, or stet, docket, opting to continue the case.

"The concern is public perception," Beachley said.

The judge said he did not want anyone to misinterpret that serious charges such as child pornography could be "thrown into the stet docket."

Repp, 45, of Hagerstown, was charged in March with distribution and possession of child pornography. He was scheduled for a hearing in that case Thursday.

Repp was later charged with 20 counts each of sex abuse of a minor and making secret videos with prurient intent, according to court records. His trial date in that case is Dec. 27.

The investigation of Repp began in March when police in Saskatchewan, Canada, informed the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit that 37 files containing child pornography had been downloaded from a member of a file-sharing service who had the username "11to15forme," court documents said. The account was traced to Repp,  the documents said.

Criminal informations later were filed against Repp accusing him of secretly videotaping a girl 133 times in 2010 and 2011. Repp's face can allegedly be seen in some of the videos as he sets up the camera, the documents said.

If Repp's case is transferred to federal jurisdiction, it will be the fourth time this year that a Washington County man has been indicted on federal child pornography charges. Brian Keith Netzer and Thomas Leroy Griffin, both of Hagerstown, faced federal indictments after being charged with state child pornography offenses.

Kenneth Norris was indicted in July for sexually exploiting a minor to produce child pornography and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.