Elkton Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Sex Abuse Material Production

Baltimore, Maryland – A 30-year federal prison sentence was handed down to Mark Rice, 38, of Elkton, Maryland, for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander delivered the sentence on Rice, who previously pled guilty to producing child sexual abuse material, distributing child sexual abuse material, and possessing child sexual abuse material. These charges stem from Rice’s heinous crimes of sexually abusing two minors in his care while using social media to distribute and solicit child sexual abuse material.

According to his plea agreement, Rice exploited a minor beginning when she was less than 3 years old, creating photographic evidence of the abuse. He also exploited a second minor through surreptitious photography. Rice actively participated in online communities dedicated to trading child sexual abuse material. He used platforms such as Reddit, Telegram, and Kik to distribute images of his victims and obtain material depicting other children.

“Rice is a dangerous predator who is now behind bars for a long time where he can’t harm any more children,” U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes said. “This sentence reflects the gravity of exploiting the most vulnerable members of our communities. We’re committed to working with our law-enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute those who sexually abuse children and participate in networks that perpetuate such exploitation.”

“This sentencing is a powerful reminder that those who exploit and abuse children will be relentlessly pursued and held accountable,” Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy said. “There is no place in society for predators who create and distribute child sexual abuse material. These crimes shatter lives, and HSI will never waver in our mission to bring justice to victims by targeting those who commit these horrific acts.”

The investigation began in April 2023, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip regarding the transmission of child sexual abuse material on Reddit. Authorities traced the tip to an IP address associated with Rice’s Elkton residence. During an interview with the Maryland State Police, Rice denied the accusation but was observed deleting photos from his phone.

HSI discovered more than 600 child sexual abuse material images across Rice’s devices. Investigators also found that Rice used a public Reddit community to connect with people that he traded child sexual abuse material with using encrypted messaging platforms. This case is 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.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI and MSP for their investigative efforts and NCMEC for its valuable assistance in the case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Gordin who prosecuted the case.

Mark Rice, 38, of Elkton, Maryland, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material.