BALTIMORE, MD – Summer Nichole McCroskey, 25, of Elkton, Maryland, has confessed to a horrific pattern of sexual abuse inflicted upon a child from the age of approximately four months to two years old. McCroskey pleaded guilty today to federal charges stemming from a conspiracy to sexually abuse the victim, the production and distribution of exploitative images, and possession of child pornography. The details are sickening.
The case, announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron, alongside officials from the FBI, Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Cecil County Sheriff’s Office, reveals a sustained period of abuse. Court documents show McCroskey, along with a co-conspirator, engaged in oral, vaginal, and anal penetration of the child, and even subjected the victim to bondage. The abuse spanned from approximately four months of age through at least October 2021, when the child was two years old.
But the depravity didn’t stop there. McCroskey didn’t just commit the acts; she actively participated in documenting them. She then distributed these disturbing files – videos and images of the abuse – to her co-conspirator and others, utilizing an encrypted messaging application to evade detection. The details of how these images circulated are currently under investigation.
The consequences for McCroskey could be severe. She faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and each of the seven counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Additionally, she faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years for each of the five counts of distributing child pornography, and up to 20 years for each of the three counts of possessing such material. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has set sentencing for May 18, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative by the Department of Justice dedicated to combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project combines the resources of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute perpetrators and rescue victims. Anyone with information regarding child exploitation is encouraged to report it immediately. Resources are available at www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney Barron lauded the collaborative efforts of the FBI, the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office in bringing this case to light. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Colleen E. McGuinn are prosecuting the case. Further information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and its community outreach programs can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it progresses.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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