Boonesboro Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Produce Child Pornography

 Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conversations with a 14-year-old Girl on Social Media

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced James Maynard, Jr., age 53, of Boonesboro, Maryland, to 150 months in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for a federal charge for coercion and enticement of a minor in order to produce and distribute child pornography. Judge Gallagher also ordered that Maynard pay $5,729.24 in restitution to his victim. Finally, Judge Gallagher ordered that upon his release from prison, Maynard must 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 plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick Police Department.

According to Maynard’s guilty plea, on November 27, 2019, Maynard used a social media account to meet a 14-year-old female, Victim 1,  During his initial conversation with the victim over social media, the victim informed Maynard that she was 14 years old and he identified himself as a 52-year-old man.  While they did not begin that way, Maynard’s conversations with the victim became increasingly sexual.  On the second day of their online communications, November 28, 2019, Maynard asked Victim 1 to send him nude photographs of herself.  Victim 1 subsequently took the photos that Maynard requested, using her tablet computer to take the photo while she was in her bedroom.  Victim 1 sent the photos to Maynard via her social media account.  Maynard made numerous sexually explicit comments about Victim 1’s genitals, and what he wanted to do to her.  Maynard persuaded Victim 1 to take and send him more photos.  Maynard also sent images of his penis to Victim 1.

After Victim 1 sent Maynard the photographs, she began to feel upset about the social media communications with Maynard.  She tried to delete the images of herself, and she asked a trusted adult for help.  Around this same time, City of Frederick Police Department detectives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation initiated an investigation and forensically analyzed the tablet computer and social media records.  Investigators discovered additional evidence that Maynard was using the internet to exploit Victim 1.   

On December 5, 2019, a search warrant was executed at Maynard’s residence and his cell phone was seized.  A forensic analysis of the phone revealed several images relevant to the investigation, including an image of Victim 1.  Forensic analysis of another computer located in Maynard’s residence revealed that Maynard used the internet to search topics involving minors and sex.

Investigators interviewed Maynard, who initially claimed that he thought Victim 1 was 19-years-old.  However, when investigators showed Maynard the content of his online messages with Victim 1, Maynard admitted that he knew the victim was 14-years-old at the time that he communicated with her on social media. 

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.         

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the City of Frederick Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Duey and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, Chief Counsel with the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, who prosecuted the federal case.