Child Porn Crimes Draw Guilty Plea From Ex-State Official: Report

SEVERNA PARK, MD — A former state government official pleaded guilty on March 9 to distributing child pornography, an incident report said. The United States Department of Justice identified the suspect as 44-year-old Mathew Palmer of Severna Park. The write-up indicated that Palmer held these positions during the time of the offenses:

• Deputy legislative officer for the Maryland governor’s office
• Chief operating officer with the Maryland Department of Commerce

Homeland Security Investigations noted that it launched its inquiry after getting a tip from an instant messenger application. The messenger told investigators that it shut down several similar accounts, all with “anonjohnny” in their names, after they tried to upload images of child pornography between April 2019 and September 2019, the report added.

Authorities explained that they tracked the uploads to Palmer. They also reported that Palmer accessed the materials from the government's internet services.

Investigators informed that they executed a search warrant of Palmer's home on Aug. 11, 2020 and seized his personal cell phone and laptop. The team mentioned that Palmer's phone was logged into a new "anonjohnny" account on the messaging platform.

The Department of Justice advised that the cell phone had 936 images and 368 videos of child pornography, some of which depicted toddlers and prepubescent minors. Investigators accused Palmer of distributing a video of child pornography to a group chat of 58 people. They also alleged that he stored links to child pornography websites in the notes section of his phone.

Palmer will head to prison for five to 20 years, authorities shared. His sentencing is not yet scheduled. Palmer must also register as a sex offender, the report shared.

"The exploitation of children is a serious threat and problem that has grown over the course of the pandemic," Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner said in a press release. "This case should serve as a reminder that law enforcement will pursue anyone who endangers children, and that no one is above the law."

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