(LUSBY, MD) - State police investigators from the Computer Crimes Section, Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), arrested a Calvert County man on child pornography related charges on Wednesday, May 11, 2016.
The suspect is identified as Christopher Hale, Jr., 35, of no fixed address. Police located Hale sleeping in his car in Prince Frederick when he was arrested without incident. After consultation with the Calvert County State’s Attorney, Hale was charged with five counts of distributing child pornography, five counts of possession of child pornography and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. He was transported to Calvert County Detention Center and awaits a hearing by the District Court Commissioner.
As a result of the investigation, a search and seizure warrant was executed on Hale’s laptop found in his vehicle and in a Lusby residence where police believe he was staying with family. State Police Computer Crimes investigators and troopers from the Prince Frederick Barrack were assisted by agents from the Department of Homeland Security. Execution of the search warrant resulted in numerous types of digital media being seized, found to contain images of child pornography.
The Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is comprised of police agencies from around the state. Its primary mission is to protect children from computer-facilitated sexual exploitation. The Task Force works cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide resources to combat these crimes. Additionally, the Task Force provides community awareness campaigns helping to prevent the spread of these crimes through education.