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Aberdeen Woman Guilty of Child Sex Trafficking
Baltimore, Maryland – A 27-year-old Aberdeen woman has pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking charges in federal court.
Ashley Graybeal, 27, was charged with sex trafficking a child, sexually exploiting a child, and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to the plea agreement, Graybeal began using her Kik account in January 2025 to contact other Kik users. She offered them sexually explicit images of two minor victims, or to perform sex acts with the two children via livestream, in exchange for money.
Graybeal then sent sexually explicit images of the two children to other Kik users and received payment for those images through an online banking app. The images were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children through their Cybertipline in February 2025, and law enforcement acted quickly to intervene and recover the two children.
Graybeal faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child, as well as up to lifetime supervised release and lifetime registration as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI, Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn and Reema Sood who are prosecuting the federal case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Graybeal’s guilty plea is a significant step forward in our efforts to protect children from predators like Graybeal. We will continue to work tirelessly to bring these perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of our communities.
The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritizes the prosecution of crimes that put children at risk. For more information on the office’s priorities and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
In related news, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a hotline for reporting suspected cases of child exploitation: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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