Former Maryland mayor avoids prison in revenge porn case

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – A former Maryland mayor who admitted posting nude photos of his ex-girlfriend on Reddit would not be behind bars under a plea agreement announced by the state prosecutor’s office on Monday.

Former Cambridge Mayor Andrew Bradshaw pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing revenge pornography online and was sentenced to one year and one day on each of the five counts, with all detention periods suspended. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised probation and fined $1,000 for each count.

Bradshaw was also ordered to pay the victim $750 and perform 100 hours of community service.

The former mayor faced a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each count.

Bradshaw pleaded guilty to posting nude photos of a woman he had an affair with after the relationship ended.

The woman contacted authorities in May after learning that the photos were posted on Reddit. She told authorities she only sent the photos to Bradshaw while they were in an intimate relationship and she did not allow him to redistribute them.

Investigators found that Bradshaw made many separate public posts containing at least 10 unique representations of the victim, and many of the posts contained language related to humiliation and degradation. state prosecutor’s office said.

When interviewed, Bradshaw admitted to law enforcement agencies that he created the account and posted nude photos of the victim, authorities said. Bradshaw resignation his mayor position in January.

“Anyone who abuses the trust and confidence of others to bring them down and humiliate them, especially through the use of a forum as pervasive as the Internet, must be held accountable. Such actions are especially egregious when committed by an individual who holds a position of public leadership and power,” said State Attorney Charlton T. Howard III.

Maryland law prohibits the unprovoked distribution of private avatars of others that reveal their intimate body parts or show them engaging in sexual activity for the purpose of harm, harassment, or intimidation. threaten, intimidate or coerce the person described.

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