Baltimore SWAT Officer From Bel Air Charged In Child Porn Case

BEL AIR, MD — A Bel Air man who works as a Baltimore SWAT officer faces federal charges of child pornography production and possession, as well as obstructing justice, prosecutors said Monday.

Donald Hildebrandt, 51, has been charged by criminal complaint as the result of an investigation that has been ongoing since October, according to authorities. He has been suspended without pay from the Baltimore Police Department, officials said.

The investigation began Oct. 18, 2020, after Hildebrandt was found exposing himself to a girl in a room and another minor filed a complaint, officials said.

In an interview with the Harford County Child Advocacy Center, one of the underage victims said Hildebrandt exposed himself to her and demanded she engage in sexual conduct with him, according to authorities.

Two days later, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hildebrandt’s home and seized several electronic devices. Prosecutors said they found the following:

• An encrypted file on Hildebrandt’s laptop with videos that appeared to show the sexual abuse of a girl and a nearly three-hour video compilation showing multiple instances of child sexual abuse, including prepubescent victims.
• More than 100 still photographs investigators believed were from covert video recordings Hildebrandt made. Among them were two girls showing their genitals and breasts.

After officials said a witness informed them in January that Hildebrandt conducted a factory reset on his previously seized iPad, he faces an obstruction of justice charge. Forensic investigators looking through his iCloud account found he also saved a web address in his notes application that went to a website where people could buy child pornography with cryptocurrency.

"The site claimed to be a 'safe zone for pedo folks,'" prosecutors said.

If he is convicted, Hildebrandt faces the following:

• For production of child pornography, a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
• For possession of child pornography, a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison
• For obstruction of justice, a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.