Admitted Cecil Co. child sex abuser gets 30 years behind bars for child porn production

In a Maryland courtroom on July 18, Frank Ray Leary, Jr., 24, of Elkton, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime of supervised release, for production of child pornography.  Upon his release from prison, the Cecil County man must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

“Frank Ray Leary, Jr. preyed on vulnerable young victims, including a five-year-old boy,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Law enforcement agencies will continue to work to identify and prosecute those who harm our children.”

According to his plea agreement, in 2012 Leary distributed images of child pornography using a file-sharing network.  In 2014 and 2015, Leary sent e-mails containing images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including prepubescent minors.  In September 2015, Leary used a messaging application to participate in group chats during which the members of the group discussed the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, shared files of child pornography, and commented on the files.

His plea deal went on to specify that on August 1, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant for Leary’s person and his residence, seizing his mobile phone, among other things.  A forensic examination of the phone, as well as the execution of various provider search warrants revealed that Leary used a messaging application on his phone to induce at least six minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct and send Leary images of that conduct. 

For example, on July 7, 2018, Leary engaged in chat with a victim who was between 14 and 16 years old and enticed that victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct with his sleeping nine-year-old brother and take photographs of the sexual acts.  

Leary admitted that he engaged in sexually explicit chats with five other victims from around the world, including Germany, Bulgaria, California, and Kentucky.  Leary requested and received images of the victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct, often directed by Leary.  In addition, he shared images of child pornography with the victims and other minors, sending them links to accounts he maintained.

Finally, according to his plea dealt, a five-year-old victim disclosed that he had been abused by Leary between 2017 and 2018.

(Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland)

 ~  Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter