Posted Advertisements Seeking “Young Models" and Encouraged Girls to Respond Via E-Mail or the Kik Social Messaging App
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Roy David Evans, Jr., age 34, of Essex, Maryland, today to 17 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor to produce child pornography, possession of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography. Judge Xinis also ordered that upon his release from prison, Evans is required to 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 was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
“Roy Evans took advantage of anonymous Internet messaging services to encourage minors to send him sexually explicit images of themselves," said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “This lengthy sentence should send a powerful message that sexual exploitation of children to produce child pornography will not be tolerated in Maryland."
“With ever increasing access to communication platforms, we must continue to stay a step ahead of those who exploit technology to facilitate the worst crimes in modern society," said Cardell T. Morant, Acting Special Agent in Charge, HSI Baltimore. “Today’s announcement serves as a significant marker in our fight against these heinous criminals, and I proudly commend the investigators bringing such criminals to justice."
According to Evans’ plea agreement and evidence presented at today’s sentencing hearing, Evans posted advertisements on Craigslist for “young models" and encouraged girls to contact him via e-mail or via Kik, a social messaging application where users can text, livestream, and send digital images and videos to one another. Evans admitted that he enticed and coerced three minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce images of that conduct. Evans received sexually explicit images and videos of the victims via Kik. Evans sent at least three of those images and videos to himself through the Internet. Evans further admitted that he traveled to Montgomery County, Maryland in order to engage in sexual conduct with a 14-year-old victim. Evans admitted that he solicited at least two other minors to create and send sexually explicit images and videos of themselves after they had responded to his advertisements.
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 HSI Baltimore and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly O'Connell Hayes and Timothy Hagan, who prosecuted the federal case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
