Antonio Wright, Child Exploitation, Maryland 2023

Baltimore Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing a Minor to Produce Child Pornography

Antonio Wright, a 42-year-old Baltimore resident, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for coercing and enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and for two counts of production of child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar handed down the sentence, which will be followed by lifetime supervised release. Wright will also be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to the plea agreement, Wright used an online social network to induce the victim, Jane Doe, to engage in sexually explicit conduct, and to produce images of that conduct. Wright has known the victim since 2009, when Jane Doe was four years old, and lived with Jane Doe’s family intermittently until the Spring of 2017. Wright began sexually abusing the victim when she was 11 years old.

Beginning in at least August 2017, Wright and the victim, who was living with a foster family in Baltimore, began communicating by text messages, audio messages, and images, using an online social network. The messages frequently included Wright’s declarations of love for Jane Doe and Wright also told Jane Doe that they should eventually get married. Jane Doe was approximately 13 years old at this time. Wright instructed the victim not to tell others that she has “an older man for a boyfriend,” and that he would get in trouble if anyone found out.

On January 4, 2018, Wright spent time with Jane Doe at his residence when Baltimore City schools were closed due to snow. That afternoon, Jane Doe’s foster mother noticed that Jane Doe did not come home when she expected her. When she was unable to locate Jane Doe, she found the tablet that Jane Doe was using to communicate with Wright and observed the sexually explicit chats and images. After Wright brought Jane Doe home that afternoon, her foster mother filed a report with the Maryland Department of Human Services, who referred the case to Child Protective Services for investigation.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Baltimore Police Department. Wright will begin serving his sentence immediately.

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