ELKTON — An Elkton man remained jailed on Thursday after Maryland State Police detectives confiscated child pornography from him, ending an eight-day-long investigation, according to Cecil County District Court records.
Investigators allege in court documents that the suspect — Mark A. Rice, 38, of the 100 block of Milestone Road — created one of the seized child pornography photos by surreptitiously photographing himself with the victim while the child was asleep, court records allege.
The investigation leading to Rice’s arrest started on April 17, when MSP detectives assigned to the agency’s Computer Crimes Section/Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a cyber tip indicating that someone uploaded child pornography to the internet, police reported.
Using information provided in the tip - including the email address, screen/user name, IP address and profile URL connected to the person who had uploaded the child pornography - MSP investigators were able to identify Rice as the suspect, police said. That led to detectives conducting a voluntary interview with Rice at his residence on April 28, police added.
“Rice admitted to possessing and distributing child pornography. Rice admitted to having a sexual attraction to minors . . .,” according to the charging document.
During that interview, Rice consented when investigators asked if they could examine content on his cellphone, police said. Investigators found “numerous child pornography files saved to the physical memory” of the phone, police added.
“The files depicted various children ranging from pre-pubescent toddlers to teenagers engaged in sexual conduct,” court records allege.
MSP investigators arrested Rice that day, police reported.
Rice is facing five criminal charges — four of which are felonies, including child sex abuse, child pornography film in sex act and promotion/distribution of child pornography, according to court records.
He remained in the Cecil County Detention Center on no bond Thursday, three days after his bail review hearing, court records show.
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