A federal grand jury has indicted Joel Thomas Biermann, a 46-year-old resident of University Park, Maryland, on charges related to child exploitation. The indictment includes two counts of producing child sexual abuse material, one count of distributing such material, and one count of possession.
The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, in conjunction with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno from the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
The indictment alleges that between October 26, 2012, and October 28, 2024, Biermann coerced victims into engaging in sexually explicit conduct and created visual depictions of this exploitation. Additionally, it is alleged that he distributed child sexual abuse material on March 13, 2016.
If convicted, Biermann faces severe penalties: a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to a maximum of 30 years for producing child sexual abuse material; five to twenty years for distribution; and up to twenty years for possession. However, actual sentences are typically less than the maximum allowed under federal guidelines.
It is important to note that an indictment is not proof of guilt; individuals charged remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program combines resources at federal, state, and local levels to pursue offenders and protect victims.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the efforts of the FBI and PGPD in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy and Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills from the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are handling prosecution duties.
Further information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc. For more details about community resources provided by the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood or https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
