US Army National Guardsman and former Rockville, Maryland police officer admits possession of over 12,000 depictions of child pornography | USAO-MD

BaltimoreMaryland – Daniel Morozewicz, 38, of Frederick, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of child pornography.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; J. Charles Smith, Frederick County State’s Attorney; and Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins.

According to his guilty plea, from September 2020 to January 2021, while employed as a Rockville Police Officer and Army National Guard, Morozewicz received, possessed, and distributed child pornography on the sharing network. BitTorrent files. Morozewicz also used several electronic devices to download and distribute child pornography involving prepubescent minors.

During this time, Morozewicz repeatedly distributed child pornography to plainclothes law enforcement officers. In at least four cases in 2020, investigators determined that devices associated with Morozewicz’s IP address were uploading and sharing child pornography files on BitTorrent; including eight packages of child pornography.

As noted in his guilty plea, on March 4, 2021, Morozewicz received a tip that federal law enforcement wanted to conduct an in-person interview with him. The next day, March 5, 2021, law enforcement executed a series of search and seizure warrants on Morozewicz’s residence, vehicle, and person. Following the search for Morozewicz’s person, law enforcement seized a smartphone that had recently been factory reset and wiped in light of the impending visit by federal law enforcement. He also admitted to throwing away his computer in anticipation of a visit from law enforcement. Morozewicz’s actions were seen as an attempt to obstruct the investigation and prosecution of his child pornography offenses.

Several electronic devices were seized in connection with the warrants executed at Morozewicz’s home and in his vehicle. A forensic examination of Morozewicz’s devices found he possessed over 12,300 depictions of child pornography and erotica, including over 200 depictions involving the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, and over 90 child pornography images involving sado-masochistic conduct.

Morozewicz faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison followed by life probation for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher set sentencing for September 8, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.

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. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit child sexual abuse, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information on the Safe Childhood Project, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information on internet safety training, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left side of the page.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, chief counsel for the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, who prosecuted the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and the resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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