Greenbelt, Maryland - A federal grand jury charged Roy David Evans, Jr., age 31, of Essex, Maryland, for sexual exploitation of a minor to produce child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct; and for receipt and possession of child pornography. The indictment was returned on Aug. 22, 2016, and unsealed on Aug. 24, 2016.
Evans had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on Aug. 23, 2016, and was ordered to be detained following a detention hearing on Aug. 24, 2016.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to the six count indictment, and information presented at today’s detention hearing, Evans posted advertisements on Craigslist for young girls to contact him via email or via Kik, a messaging application where users can text, livecam, and send digital images and videos to one another. Evans’ Kik username was “roddanger86." The indictment alleges that Evans enticed and coerced a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce images of that conduct. Further, the indictment alleges that Evans then received videos of the victim engaged in sexually explicitly conduct via the internet.
Evans’ alleged victims ranged from ages 14 years old to 16 years old. According to evidence presented in court, multiple victims, at the request of Evans and sometimes on their own, sent videos and images of sexually explicit conduct to Evans via Kik. Evans also allegedly offered to pay cash to the victims in exchange for sexual activities. At least one victim, a 14-year-old female, engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexual activities with Evans on at least three occasions.
Based on their investigation, law enforcement believes there may be additional victims. Anyone with information is asked to call HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423), which is staffed around the clock by investigators.
Evans faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for production of child pornography; a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor; a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for receipt of child pornography; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography. For each count, Evans faces up to lifetime supervised release following his imprisonment.
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 Attorneys' 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 Rod J. Rosenstein commended HSI Baltimore, and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O'Connell Hayes, who is prosecuting the federal case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
