The mayor of Cambridge, Maryland, in Dorchester County has been charged with 50 counts of distributing revenge porn, the state prosecutor’s office said Monday.
Andrew Bradshaw is accused of creating multiple Reddit accounts and usernames consisting of variations of the name and birth date of the victim. He then allegedly posted nude photos of her, captioned with racial slurs and sexually explicit language, according to State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III’s office.
Those photos were allegedly posted on various Reddit accounts and “Subreddit” forums that were related to sexual activity, humiliation, degradation, race and other topics, according to a news release.
The charging document further alleges that Bradshaw distributed the images without the knowledge or consent of the victim and with the intent to harm her.
“Using someone’s private images without their consent is a serious breach of trust and invasion of privacy, and the power and breadth of the internet makes such a violation even more egregious,” Howard said in a statement. “Our office is committed to protecting victims from those who abuse their positions of power and trust.”
The accounts that posted the photos were linked to an IP address that provided internet service to a Cambridge home owned by Bradshaw, the document states.
After being elected this past January, Bradshaw became the youngest mayor in Cambridge’s history.
David Deutsch, acting city manager of Cambridge, confirmed to WTOP that Bradshaw has been released.
He said the city does not have any other information on Bradshaw’s legal issues — “nor do we know at this point whether there’s any impact on his status as mayor.”
Deutsch said the city attorney is reviewing relevant documents in the city code and charter to determine how to proceed.
In the meantime, Deutsch said the business of local government will continue as usual.
That echoes the statement that the city released: “The City is currently gathering information and will cooperate fully with the Maryland State Police and the Office of the State Prosecutor. As the City has a Council-Manager form of municipal government whereby the City Manager serves as the chief executive officer of the City and the head of its administrative branch, the business of the City is unaffected. As this is an active legal matter, no further comments will be made at this time.”
Maryland’s Revenge Porn Statute “prohibits the nonconsensual distribution of a private visual representation of another which exposes their intimate body parts or displays them engaged in sexual activity, with the intent to harm, harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce the person depicted,” the release said.
“It’s appalling behavior for anyone, especially someone vested with public responsibility,” State Prosecutor Charlton Howard III said by telephone. Even if the acts don’t fall within official duties it contributes to the public’s lack of faith in our leaders and institutions, he said.
“People in romantic relationships exchange private confidences, messages and private images and they do it under an assumption, sometimes stated or understood, that they will be retained privately,” Howard said. “Distribution can be exceptionally devastating. … The pervasive depth and breath of the internet makes these cases exceptionally egregious.”
If convicted, Bradshaw faces a maximum penalty of two years behind bars and a $5,000 fine for each count.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
