Harford County Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child and for Illegal Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition
Baltimore, Maryland – Yesterday U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Travis Joseph Crawford, age 34, of Edgewood, Maryland, to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Judge Russell also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Crawford will 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).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby 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 Crawford’s plea agreement and other court documents, on November 30, 2020, Harford County Sheriff’s deputies went to Crawford’s residence, based on an arrest warrant issued for Crawford by Maryland State Police for firearms related offenses. When the officers arrived, they heard Crawford call, “Where’s my gun?” Crawford was arrested and law enforcement recovered a cell phone, a smart watch, and a fully-loaded .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol. A search warrant subsequently executed on Crawford’s phone revealed three sexually explicit videos involving Jane Doe, all of which were recorded without her knowledge or permission. Crawford was also previously a convicted felon and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, ATF, the Maryland State Police, and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
