Abingdon Man Gets 30 Months for Child Porn

BALTIMORE, MD – Nicholas Paul Pedone, a 41-year-old resident of Abingdon, Maryland, will spend the next 30 months behind bars after being sentenced today for possessing horrific child pornography. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett didn’t just hand down a prison term; he condemned Pedone to a lifetime of supervised release and mandatory registration as a sex offender upon his release. This isn’t just about punishment; it’s about monitoring a predator.

The case, announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt, began unraveling back in March 2013. An FBI agent scouring email traffic for child exploitation material stumbled upon correspondence between Pedone and another user actively sharing depraved images. That initial discovery – two photos of naked, prepubescent children – was enough to trigger a full investigation.

A subsequent search warrant executed on Pedone’s email account in October 2013 revealed a sickening trove of evidence. Investigators found thousands of emails containing images and videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit acts. The emails weren’t isolated incidents; Pedone was actively exchanging this material with dozens of other accounts, building a network of depravity. This wasn’t passive viewing; Pedone was a distributor.

The investigation was conducted under the umbrella of “Project Safe Childhood,” a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice. The project aims to aggressively combat the escalating epidemic of child sexual exploitation, bringing together federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute offenders. The sheer volume of material found on Pedone’s accounts underscores the scope of the problem.

Judge Bennett’s sentencing order mandates that Pedone register as a sex offender in any location where he lives, works, or studies, adhering to the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). This is intended to provide transparency and protect potential victims. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who skillfully prosecuted the case, secured a conviction that sends a clear message: exploiting children will not be tolerated.

Rosenstein commended the FBI’s relentless work on the investigation, highlighting the dedication of agents to dismantling these networks of abuse. Resources for internet safety education can be found at www.justice.gov/psc. The fight against child sexual exploitation is far from over, but cases like this demonstrate that justice, however delayed, can be served.