Baltimore Man Indicted in Maryland on Federal Charges for Production and Possession of Child Pornography

 Indictment Alleges that he Sexually Exploited Two Prepubescent Girls in Order to Produce Images and Videos Documenting Their Sexual Abuse

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Calvin Henry Sampson, III, age 21, of Baltimore, Maryland, with four counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.  The indictment was returned on October 26, 2020.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur;  Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Marilyn Mosby, State’s Attorney for Baltimore City.

According to the indictment, between July 26, 2019 and February 26, 2020, Sampson exploited two minor prepubescent female victims in order to produce images and videos documenting the sexual abuse of those victims.  The indictment further alleges that from March 3, 2020, through April 7, 2020, Sampson maintained an Internet-based account that contained visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including images of the two minor victims.

If convicted, Sampson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for each of the four counts of production of child pornography.  Sampson also faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Sampson is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, although no date has been set for the hearing.  Sampson is currently detained on unrelated state charges.

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. 

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 Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who is prosecuting the federal case.