Roy Edward Gibbs, Possession of Child Pornography, Maryland 2023

Baltimore, Maryland – In a shocking revelation, Roy Edward Gibbs, a 65-year-old man from Frederick, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Gibbs, who was previously convicted in Montgomery County Circuit Court on four counts involving the sexual abuse of two prepubescent girls in July 2006, began downloading and distributing images and videos of child pornography using peer-to-peer file-sharing software after serving his sentence.

Between August 2019 and November 2019, Gibbs repeatedly distributed child pornography to undercover law enforcement officers over the file-sharing network. For example, in August 2019, a detective from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office determined that a device using an IP address associated with Gibbs’s residence made 19 different files containing child pornography available for download.

As detailed in the plea agreement, law enforcement agents executed a series of federal search warrants on Gibbs’s residence and vehicles on November 15, 2019. Forensic examination of several electronic devices, including Gibbs’s tablet and its 32 MicroSD card, revealed at least 568 images of child pornography. Additionally, at least 45 images examined during the forensic review were identical to images downloaded by investigators over the file-sharing network after making direct connections to Gibbs’s tablet.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge James Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; and Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith.

Gibbs faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has not yet scheduled sentencing.

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.

Related Federal Cases