A Maryland man was sentenced to 45 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of two minor females to produce child pornography.
Dennis James Harrison, 40, of Rocky Ridge, Md., was sentenced by a federal judge Jan. 3 over allegations that he exploited females ages 10 and 12 years old, according to a Homeland Security Investigations news release. Harrison, a registered sex offender, was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.
"This sentence is a great example of what can be accomplished when federal and local law enforcement agencies work in collaboration," HSI-Baltimore Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris III said in the news release. "Sexual exploitation is a repulsive crime, even more so when the victims are young and defenseless."
HSI-Baltimore special agents collaborated with local law enforcement officers to bring Harrison in after a search warrant was executed in 2021, according to the news release.
"We work tirelessly to support victims of sexual abuse, and encourage all victims to contact law enforcement, regardless of whether the abuse was recent or in the past," Harris said in the release. "Protecting children from abuse by educating our communities and holding offenders accountable, is a priority for our office."
Harrison, who already had a 2009 conviction in Pennsylvania for possession of child pornography, reportedly engaged in illicit sexual activity with one of the victims and produced pornographic materials of both victims, according to the release. Investigators discovered more than 14,000 files of child pornography on Harrison's devices, including depictions of infants and toddlers.
