Description: Baltimore, Maryland criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with sexual exploitation of a minor in order to produce child pornography.

Matthew K. Walsh, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, from at least 2016 through 2021, Walsh created fictitious profiles on several online platforms posing as a minor female to make contact with minor males between the ages of twelve and seventeen to induce them to produce sexually explicit images and videos to send to the purported minor female. Once Walsh obtained the sexually explicit images and videos, he extorted the minor males into producing more sexually explicit images and videos at his instruction and threatened that if they failed to do so, Walsh would send the previously provided images and videos to the minor victims’ friends, family, and classmates. Walsh directed the minor males to send him the images and videos he directed them to produce, and that the images and videos needed to include their face.

In some of the communications, by text, email, and video, the minor victims are crying and begging Walsh not to send the images and videos to their families and classmates, to leave them alone, and not to make them do more, but Walsh persisted with his threats and demands. Walsh admitted that he harassed some of the victims for years and obtained hundreds of files depicting sexually explicit conduct from some of the victims. In total, Walsh obtained approximately 2000 images and videos depicting sexually explicit conduct of the various minor males.

As detailed in the plea agreement, once Walsh received the sexually explicit files from the victims, he saved them into folders of fake names or a variation of the victim’s real name in a cloud storage account. Walsh also uploaded the minor males’ files to various Twitter accounts and sold the sexually explicit files of the minors to others, obtaining approximately $8000 from the sale of the files. Specifically, Walsh communicated with at least 50 different Twitter users interested in purchasing either individual files of child sex abuse material (CSAM), or Walsh’s “collections” of CSAM. The “collections” contained over 100 different victims’ files. In several messages, the Twitter users were aware that some of the individuals in the sexually explicit files were as young as 14-years-old. Several Twitter users exchanged “tips” with Walsh on how to evade law enforcement and discussed methods for enticing and extorting victims’ nude images and videos. Walsh was also a member of online groups which included other offenders who would post, sell, and trade CSAM.

During the investigation, federal search warrants were executed on 17 Google accounts, 22 Twitter accounts, 4 Facebook accounts, 7 Instagram accounts, 6 Snap accounts, 3 Dropbox accounts, 3 TextNow accounts, a Kik account, an Apple account, and an Oath/Yahoo! account, all created and utilized by Walsh. To date over 40 minor males have been positively identified as victims of Walsh’s conduct. At least 30 victims’ pictures and videos were sold and/or distributed to others by Walsh.

Walsh faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. As required by his plea agreement, Walsh will make full restitution to all minor victims of his offenses as to all counts charged, whether or not he has entered a guilty plea to those counts. As a consequence of Walsh’s conviction, upon his release from prison, Walsh will be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, is an employee, and is a student, pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for November 4, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.

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 Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Noblesville, Indiana Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judson T. Mihok and Paul E. Budlow, who are prosecuting the federal case.

18:2251(a)and(e) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR
(1)
18:2251(a)and(e) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR
(2)
18:2251(a)and(e) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR
(1)
18:2251(a)and(e) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR
(2)

Outcome:
CM/ECF

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U.S. District Court
District of Maryland (Baltimore)
CRIMINAL DOCKET FOR CASE #: 1:21-cr-00161-ELH-1

Case title: USA v. Walsh

Date Filed: 05/12/2021
Assigned to: District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander

Defendant (1)
Matthew K. Walsh represented by Mark E Sobel
Law Offices of James E. Crawford, Jr. & Associates
999 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 100
Linthicum, MD 21090
443-709-9999
Fax: 443-919-4207
Email: mark@jamescrawfordlaw.com
LEAD ATTORNEY
ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED
Designation: Retained

James E Crawford , Jr
Law Office of James Crawford
1435 Sulphur Spring Rd
Arbutus, MD 21227
14437099999
Fax: 14439194207
Email: james@jamescrawfordlaw.com
ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED
Designation: Retained

Pending Counts
Disposition
18:2251(a)and(e) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR
(1)
18:2251(a)and(e) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR
(2)
18:2422(b) and 2427 COERCION AND ENTICEMENT
(3-4)
18:2252A(a)(2)and(b)(1) RECEIPT OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(5-6)

Highest Offense Level (Opening)
Felony

Terminated Counts
Disposition
None

Highest Offense Level (Terminated)
None

Complaints
Disposition
None

Plaintiff
USA represented by Judson Thomas Mihok
Office of the United States Attorney
36 S Charles St Fourth Fl
Baltimore, MD 21201
14102094903
Fax: 14109623091
Email: judson.mihok@usdoj.gov
LEAD ATTORNEY
ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED
Designation: Assistant US Attorney

Date Filed # Docket Text
07/22/2022 49 Arraignment as to Matthew K. Walsh (1) Counts 1-2,3-4,5-6 held on 7/22/2022, Plea entered by Matthew K. Walsh (1) of Guilty as to Count 1, and Not Guilty as to counts 2, 3-4, 5-6 before District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander.(Court Reporter: Ronda Thomas) (jks, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 07/22/2022)
07/22/2022 50 PLEA AGREEMENT as to Matthew K. Walsh (jks, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 07/22/2022)
07/22/2022 51 -SEALED- PLEA SUPPLEMENT as to Matthew K. Walsh (jks, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 07/22/2022)
07/22/2022 52 Sentencing Order as to Matthew K. Walsh. Signed by District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander on 7/22/2022. (jks, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 07/22/2022)

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Transaction Receipt
07/24/2022 08:51:02
PACER Login: ma0089918 Client Code:
Description: Docket Report Search Criteria: 1:21-cr-00161-ELH Start date: 7/22/2022
Billable Pages: 2 Cost: 0.20

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