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A Maryland mayor could face up to 100 years in prison after being charged with distributing revenge porn online.
Andrew Bradshaw, the 32-year-old mayor of Cambridge, is charged with 50 counts of distributing revenge porn, prosecutors announced on Monday.
Bradshaw is accused of creating multiple accounts on Reddit and posting nude photos of a woman he was previously in a romantic relationship with, according to a news release from the Office of the Maryland State Prosecutor.
Bradshaw allegedly created the accounts using variations of the woman's name and birthdate.
He allegedly posted the woman's nude photographs online in April and May, captioned with racial slurs and sexually explicit language, on those Reddit accounts and on various subreddits on various topics including sexual activity, humiliation, degradation and race.
The charging document states that the woman contacted police in May after discovering her photos were posted on Reddit.
She told police that she had sent the photos to Bradshaw while they were in an intimate relationship and that she didn't give him her permission to redistribute them, according to the document. She said they were no longer in a relationship.
The Reddit accounts that posted the photos were linked to an IP address that provided internet service to a home in Cambridge that is owned by Bradshaw, according to the charging document.
The document alleges Bradshaw disseminated the images without the woman's knowledge or consent, and with the intent to harm her.
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.
According to the state prosecutor, if convicted, Bradshaw would face a maximum penalty of two years' incarceration and a $5,000 fine for each count.
"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," State Prosecutor Charlton Howard III said. "Our office is committed to protecting victims from those who abuse their positions of power and trust."
A statement on Cambridge's website says the city is "aware of the matter involving the Mayor" and would be fully cooperating with authorities.
The statement adds that the city's business is not affected since the city manager serves as the its chief executive and head of its administrative branch. "As this is an active legal matter, no further comments will be made at this time," it added.
Bradshaw's biography on the website describes him as a lifelong Cambridge resident and the youngest mayor in the city's history when he took office in January. It adds that he resides in Cambridge's historic district with his partner and their two dogs.
According to online court records, Bradshaw was arrested and released on his own recognizance on Monday. He has been contacted for comment.
About the writer
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on education and national news. Khaleda ... Read more