WASHINGTON — A Dundalk, Maryland, man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for federal charges of producing child pornography.
Russel Todd O’Bannon, 52, admitted in a plea deal to using a Facebook text messaging service to connect with 17 boys and girls and convince them to send him sexually explicit photos.
When communicating with the minors, he used a fictitious Facebook account under the alias of “Martin Anderson,” lied about his age, and sent victims nude photos of young men, which he claimed to be images of himself, according to prosecutors.
His victims were located inside and outside of the U.S. and, according to court documents, included children in foster care and group homes as well as rape survivors. Those who were victims of sexual abuse, O’Bannon admitted to asking them for details about the abuse and continuing to ask for pornographic photos from them.
According to the US Department of Justice, O’Bannon frequently told victims he wanted to meet them for sex and told them in graphic detail what he planned to do during those encounters. He also admitted to telling female victims that he wanted to have unprotected sex with them so he can impregnate them.
O’Bannon was apprehended as part of the department’s Project Safe Childhood, an operation that goes after people who exploit children and also helps the young victims.
In addition to the prison time, U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett sentenced O’Bannon to a life time of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender once he is released.
