Davidsonville Man Convicted Of Child Porn Possession

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — A Davidsonville man was convicted this week of child pornography possession, according to county prosecutors.

A jury on Thursday found Christopher Willard Clendenin, 38, guilty of seven counts of possession of child pornography, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said in a statement.

Following the verdict, a judge revoked Clendenin's bond and ordered him held at the Jennifer Road Detention Center pending his sentencing hearing on July 27.

"Behind every offender possessing child sexual abuse material, there is a child victim that has been exploited and deeply harmed in the creation of these images," Colt Leitess said. "We will always stand with victims and ensure that those who prey on our young and vulnerable be held accountable in the court of law."

On April 26, 2023, detectives with the Anne Arundel County Police Department received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which provided information about suspected child sexual abuse material that was uploaded to the website Reddit. The NCMEC also provided a name and IP address that led police to Clendenin.

Authorities eventually obtained a search warrant for Clendenin's Reddit and email accounts. Once detectives gained access to the accounts, they found both still and video images depicting child sexual abuse material within Clendenin's Gmail folders.

On Aug. 24, 2023, authorities searched Clendenin's home. During the search, investigators seized evidence and briefly interviewed Clendenin, who confirmed he recognized the email account containing the child sexual abuse material.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Anastasia T. Prigge and Sean Fox. The investigation was led by Detective Jonathan Bruce from the Anne Arundel County Police Department.