Child Pornography

MARTINSBURG, W.VA. -- A former American Red Cross worker accused of embezzling more than $30,000 from the Eastern Panhandle chapter of the agency now faces child pornography charges. Samuel K. Bunner, 37, of 223 Brilliant Stone Drive in Martinsburg, was charged with 48 felony counts of knowingly possessing material visually portraying a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to an arrest warrant issued Wednesday by Berkeley County Magistrate W. Randy Smith. Bunner was arraigned Tuesday on 87 felony counts of fraudulent use of a credit card and has since been released from Eastern Regional Jail after posting bail, according to magistrate court and jail records.

HAGERSTOWN - A Hagerstown man was ordered Wednesday to serve six years in prison on 13 counts of child pornography possession. James Michael Whitacre Jr., 33, of 322 S. Mulberry St., was sentenced by Washington County Circuit Judge Frederick C. Wright III to a combination of consecutive and concurrent sentences on 13 counts of child pornography possession, amounting to a six-year sentence. On Thursday, Washington County State's Attorney Charles P. Strong Jr. said, "We feel these types of cases are extremely serious for a community.

A man who possessed computer images of what Washington County Circuit Judge Daniel P. Dwyer said "can only be described as sexual torture" was sentenced to three years in state prison after pleading guilty Thursday to six counts of possession of child pornography. Frederic Hal Lewis, 58, of 1210 W. Washington St. in Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to the six charges in exchange for four other counts of child pornography being dismissed, along with charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, Assistant State's Attorney Gina Cirincion said.

WASHINGTON COUNTY - A local grandmother thinks people convicted of child pornography possession should register as sexual offenders. Anne Catir admits she might be too overprotective after raising her own granddaughter, but "today, you can't be too careful," she said. Former Maryland State Police trooper Brian H. Murphy, who was found guilty Tuesday of five misdemeanor counts of possession of child pornography, cannot be ordered to register as a sexual offender when he is sentenced, a Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services spokeswoman said.

A husband and wife from the Maugansville area face child pornography and sexual offense charges after investigators found photos of them engaged in sex acts with a 15-year-old girl, Washington County District Court records show. Charles William Selby III, 40, and Jessica Renee Selby, 26, of 13229 Cearfoss Pike, were being held Wednesday at Washington County Detention Center on $50,000 bond. Each faces four counts related to creating or transmitting child pornography, one count of possessing child pornography, one count of perverted practice and one count of fourth-degree sex offense, court records show.

WASHINGTON COUNTY ? A local grandmother thinks people convicted of child pornography possession should register as sexual offenders. Anne Catir admits she might be too overprotective after raising her own granddaughter, but "today, you can't be too careful," she said. Former Maryland State Police trooper Brian H. Murphy, who was found guilty Tuesday of five misdemeanor counts of possession of child pornography, cannot be ordered to register as a sexual offender when he is sentenced, a Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services spokeswoman said.

A child exploitation investigation involving a former Chambersburg Area Senior High School teacher so far has not indicated he perpetrated any physical sex crimes against victims, the lead investigator said Tuesday. Jeffrey Schmutzler was arrested March 21 at his Fayetteville, Pa., home by federal agents. The Spanish teacher submitted his resignation Tuesday morning, according to school officials. Schmutzler remains incarcerated on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography.

A former youth soccer coach who was charged with secretly making videos of a girl to produce child pornography was sentenced Thursday in federal court to 25 years in prison. Roger Allen Repp III, 46, of Hagerstown, pleaded guilty in March to sexually exploiting a minor to produce child pornography, according to the office of U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Repp was sentenced in Baltimore by Judge Catherine C. Blake, a press release from Rosenstein's office said.

A former youth soccer coach charged with 20 counts each of sexual abuse of a minor and making videos with prurient intent has been scheduled for trial in Washington County Circuit Court on Dec. 27. Roger Allen Repp III, 45, of Hagerstown, was in Circuit Court Thursday for his initial appearance and arraignment on the charges, which were filed as criminal informations on Aug. 23, Assistant State's Attorney Gina Cirincion told Judge M. Kenneth Long...

The case of a Hagerstown man charged with child sexual abuse and producing child pornography was placed on the inactive docket Tuesday in Washington County Circuit Court because he has been indicted on federal child pornography charges. Assistant State's Attorney Brett Wilson requested Judge Daniel P. Dwyer place the case of Thomas Leroy Griffin Jr. on the inactive docket because of the indictment, to give federal authorities the first opportunity to prosecute. A case in the inactive docket can be recalled by the state within a year without reason, and for two years following that if the state can show good cause, Wilson said afterward.

A Waynesboro man is in a Washington, D.C., jail following a June 17 arrest on charges of sending child pornography, according to federal court documents. Brandon J. Rock, 32, of 134 Clayton Ave., was charged with one count of distribution of child pornography, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. According to the criminal complaint, Rock interacted with a Metropolitan Police Department officer posing as a member of an online chat room and allegedly shared photos of a 12-year-old girl over the Internet.

A 19-year-old Hagerstown woman faces a maximum of 10 years in prison following her guilty plea Friday in federal court in Baltimore to possession of child pornography which she had produced.     Patricia Ann Tasker is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 5 by U.S. District Judge William M. Nickerson, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. Tasker was arrested in August 2010 on state charges of sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl, according to the statement of probable cause filed by the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

Already being held on $1 million bond on child sexual abuse charges, a Hagerstown man has been indicted by a Washington County grand jury on additional charges, including producing child pornography. Thomas Leroy Griffin Jr., 31, was charged in November 2010 with second-degree rape, second- and third-degree sex offenses, child sex abuse, child sex abuse as a continuing course of conduct and other offenses, court records said. The indictments handed down by the grand jury on June 10 allege Griffin sexually abused a girl between 2003 and August 2010; that the girl was engaged in a sex act for the purpose of creating child pornography; that the sexual activity was filmed; and Griffin retained possession of the child pornography.

A Washington County man was indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury on charges including the production of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Baltimore. Kenneth E. Norris, 52, also is charged with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography, according to the indictment handed down June 9. Norris lives in Clear Spring, said Vickie LeDuc, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein’s office. Norris was ordered detained on June 16, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner, LeDuc said.

A Hagerstown man faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday in federal court in Baltimore to sexually abusing a child to produce child pornography. Robert Paul Hade, 43, who formerly lived off Robinwood Drive, had been charged by the Washington County Sheriff's Office with second- and third-degree sex offenses, sexual abuse of a minor, second-degree assault and sexual abuse of a minor as a continuing course of conduct, according to Washington County Circuit Court records.

A Hancock man pleaded guilty in federal court last week to distribution of child pornography while he was on active duty in Kuwait and Iraq, according to a news release on the FBI’s website. Christopher Medovich, 28, of Hancock, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of distribution of child pornography, according to www.fbi.gov . Medovich faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison to a maximum sentence of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000, authorities said.