A federal grand jury has indicted Philip Andrew Turner, 46, of Linthicum Heights, Maryland, on charges related to the sexual exploitation of children and child sex trafficking. The indictment includes counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, online coercion and enticement, receipt of child sexual abuse material, and possession of such material. Turner is currently in custody and is scheduled for his initial court appearance on December 3 before Judge Chelsea J. Crawford at the U.S. District Court in Baltimore.
The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore; Colonel Michael A. Jackson, Acting Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Anne Colt Leitess, State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County.
According to the 15-count indictment, Turner allegedly used an online account to contact known child traffickers in the Philippines. He is accused of negotiating payment for specific acts involving children he selected to watch via livestreams and receiving images depicting child sexual abuse from these traffickers that he stored online. Authorities also allege that Turner possessed commercially available child sexual abuse images on his laptop.
If convicted on each count of sexual exploitation of a child, Turner faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison per count. Sentencing decisions are ultimately determined by a federal district court judge based on guidelines and statutory factors.
Officials emphasized that “An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.”
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Additionally, Know2Protect is highlighted as a national campaign led by the Department of Homeland Security designed to inform children, parents, caregivers, and policymakers about preventing online child exploitation. Resources are available through Know2Protect’s YouTube playlists (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt5AfwLFPxWISiEoR4cJqUu9lP8rDkNPa), digital safety series (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt5AfwLFPxWI7Z0jzF3oDJhHFFcKxtAYv), its website (https://know2protect.gov/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/know2protect/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559937732594), and X/Twitter (https://twitter.com/Know2Protect).
Kelly O. Hayes expressed appreciation for HSI Baltimore, Maryland State Police, and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their roles in investigating this case: “U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, the MDSP, and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.” She also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen E. McGuinn as prosecutor.
Further details about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office priorities or community resources can be accessed at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md or https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
