A federal grand jury has indicted Mark Travis Brigham, 36, of Mount Airy, Maryland, on seven counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. The indictment was announced by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, along with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Sheriff Charles A. Jenkins from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; and J. Charles Smith III, State’s Attorney for Frederick County.
According to the indictment, between September 2023 and December 2024, Brigham allegedly persuaded and coerced two minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce visual depictions of that conduct. He is also accused of possessing child sexual abuse material on four digital devices.
If convicted, Brigham faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison for each count related to sexual exploitation. For the possession charge, he could face up to 10 years in prison. Sentences for federal crimes are usually less than the maximum allowed; sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The announcement notes that an indictment is not evidence of guilt and that individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program brings together resources from various levels of government to prosecute offenders and support victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at justice.gov/psc, where resources on internet safety education are also available.
U.S. Attorney Hayes recognized HSI, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and the State’s Attorney’s Office for their work on this investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandria A. Bell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow are prosecuting the case.
Further details about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and its community outreach efforts can be accessed at justice.gov/usao-md.
