Mark Rice, a 38-year-old resident of Elkton, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, alongside Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Baltimore and Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police (MSP).
The case began in April 2023 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Reddit about the transmission of child sexual abuse material. Authorities traced this tip back to an IP address linked to Rice's residence in Elkton.
During an interview with MSP, Rice denied any wrongdoing but was seen deleting photos from his phone. When officers examined his phone, they discovered thumbnail images containing child sexual abuse material. A further search revealed additional material in his recently deleted folder.
HSI investigators found over 600 images across Rice's devices, including two depicting Rice's abuse of a minor as young as three years old. It was also uncovered that Rice used a public Reddit community to connect with others for trading such material through encrypted messaging platforms.
As part of his plea agreement, if accepted by the court, Rice will face a sentence ranging from 27 to 32 years in federal prison followed by supervised release. His sentencing is scheduled for June 23 at 2:30 p.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project involves collaboration between federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised HSI and MSP for their investigative work and acknowledged NCMEC's assistance in the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Gordin is prosecuting the case.
For more information on Project Safe Childhood or resources available through the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, visit justice.gov/psc or justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
