Towson Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Charge Of Distribution Of Child Pornography
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Towson man pled guilty to a federal charge of distribution of child pornography.
Stephen Fields, Jr., 47, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography by using multiple social media accounts to send and receive video and still images of children engaging, and being used to engage in, sexually explicit conduct via the Internet.
According to his plea agreement, between July and September 2018, Fields used four social media accounts under alias names that were variations of a name beginning with the letter "T" and each included images of an adult female by that name as profile photos.
"T" was 20 years old at the time and was known personally to Fields, who obtained the profile photos for his alias accounts from a genuine social media account used by "T" in her own name.
Fields admitted that during this time, using the four social media accounts created using "T's" name and photos, he sent and received child pornography on numerous occasions.
Between July and September 2018, Fields received at least five videos depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from other social media users. Fields also sent at least three videos and one still image depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to other users.
Law enforcement became aware of Fields' alias accounts through a series of Cybertipline reports made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Internet Protocol addresses used in August 2018 to access three of these accounts were subscribed by Fields at his residence in Towson. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residences and seized a laptop computer and other electronic devices.
Fields faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography.
