Child Porn Prompts Guilty Plea From Crofton Man Who Worked At DC Private School: Officials

CROFTON, MD — A Crofton man pleaded guilty Monday to possessing child pornography, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

The DOJ identified the man as Jay Gordon, 55. A press release said Gordon worked in the IT department of a private school in Washington, D.C. at the time of the crime. Officials did not specify which school he worked for.

Gordon could spend up to 20 years in federal prison, authorities said. He could also get a lifetime of supervised probation after his release. The Anne Arundel County man must register as a sex offender anywhere he lives, works or studies.

U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman will sentence Gordon on Oct. 17 at 1 p.m.

Prosecutors said Gordon's IP address accessed sites on the dark web, which is a part of the internet that requires special software or permission to access and is not found on search engines. This prompted investigators to execute a search warrant at Gordon's home.

Officials seized numerous computer devices that Gordon admitted belonged to him. Authorities said they found multiple images of child pornography on these devices during a preliminary search.

Further examination of the devices revealed thousands of videos and photos of child pornography, the release said. The files were organized in folders that reflected years of activity. Some of the images showed prepubescent minors.

A few of the devices were secured in a way that prevented investigators from performing forensic analysis. Gordon also used an application that let him browse the internet anonymously, the DOJ said.

Officials additionally accused Gordon of using computers at his work to access dark websites relating to child pornography. These devices were connected to digital media that showed a link to the ones seized from Gordon’s home, the release said.

This investigation was part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a DOJ initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. More information on this effort is posted here.