Department of Justice

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging Travis Joseph Crawford, age 33, of Edgewood, Maryland, for production and possession of child pornography and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to the five-count indictment and other court documents, Harford County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Crawford at a residence in Edgewood, Maryland, based on a warrant issued for Crawford by Maryland State Police for firearm related offenses.  At that time, law enforcement also recovered a fully-loaded .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol.  During the investigation, a witness advised law enforcement that Crawford had videos on his cell phone depicting Crawford sexually touching a 13-year-old girl, Jane Doe, while the girl appeared to be asleep. 

As detailed in court documents, law enforcement seized the phone, which was in Crawford’s possession.  A search warrant subsequently executed on the phone revealed three sexually explicit videos allegedly involving Jane Doe, all of which appeared to be recorded without her knowledge or permission.  The indictment also alleges that at the time of his arrest, Crawford on his phone possessed visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  Finally, the indictment alleges that Crawford was previously convicted of a felony and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

If convicted, Crawford faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of three counts of production of child pornography; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  An initial appearance will be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.  Crawford remains detained on related federal charges.

If convicted, Crawford will also be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.         

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, ATF, the Maryland State Police, and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who is prosecuting the federal case.

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