WASHINGTON — Two former staffers of a member of Congress were indicted on federal charges related to sharing nude images and videos of a delegate and her husband online.
Juan McCullum, 35, of D.C., is charged with two counts of cyberstalking and his former co-worker Dorene Browne-Louis, 45, of Upper Marlboro, is charged with two counts of obstruction of justice.
Prosecutors did not name the Congress member, but the indictment refers to the victim as “Delegate S.P.”
In a 2015 interview with The Hill, McCullum said he worked for Del. Stacey Plaskett, who represents the Virgin Islands as a nonvoting member in Congress.
In a statement Thursday evening, Plaskett thanked Capitol Police and the U.S. attorney for their investigation.
“Last year, my privacy was invaded, which was followed by an organized smear campaign and defamatory press reports concerning both me and my family,” Plaskett said.
“While we continue to be saddened by the damage we suffered as a result of those egregious acts, my family is also incredibly thankful to the people of the Virgin Islands, who have shown us tremendous care, sensitivity, and love throughout this ordeal.”
Federal prosecutors said that McCullum had access to his boss’s smartphone when he took the device for repairs in March 2016. After he left the office’s employment last summer, prosecutors said that McCullum created email and Facebook accounts under a fake name to share the personal videos and images.
Prosecutors said that McCullum “encouraged others on social media to redistribute the images and videos in the member’s congressional district.”
According to court documents, McCullum friended the Facebook accounts of candidates running against his former boss in a primary contest in an effort to share the private and nude images and videos that he had posted of the delegate and her husband.
McCullum is accused of sending some of the material to Browne-Louis along with text messages about the videos and images. She is accused of making false or misleading statements to federal investigators about McCullum’s activities and for deleting texts he sent her.
Prosecutors said that McCullum worked for the delegate from April 2015 to June 2016 and Browne-Louis worked for the member’s office from January 2015 to April 2016.
Last July, Plaskett said in a statement that private family images and videos had been shared illegally online before a primary election.
WTOP’s Jack Pointer contributed to this report.
