Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury has indicted Eric Wayne Grinder, age 36, of Westminster, Maryland, with three counts of production of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography. The indictment was returned on April 26, 2017.
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 Sheriff James T. DeWees of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the indictment, from June 2013 through August 2016, Grinder allegedly sexually abused a now 10-year old minor, and produced images of himself and the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Further, Grinder used electronic communications devices to store and obtain visual depictions of minor victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Grinder faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for each of count of production of child pornography and a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of possession of child pornography. An initial appearance has been scheduled in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on Thursday, May 4, 2017.
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, the Maryland State Police, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Riley and Paul Budlow, who are prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
