SILVER SPRING, Md. — A Maryland man was taken into custody on Wednesday following an indictment charging him with distribution of child pornography.
The indictment alleges Joseph Ruben Baer, 20, of Silver Spring, distributed videos depicting the sexual exploitation of boys via social media.
Early this year, a member of the the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was monitoring a social media platform while undercover when they learned the app was being used by some people who have a sexual interest in children. The undercover agent came across Baer during their investigation.
The FBI said Baer sent the agent a message, believing he was communicating with a pedophile, expressing interest in the sexual exploitation of boys. He later sent the agent two videos of him masturbating while watching child porn on his laptop.
On April 25, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Baer with one count of distribution of child pornography.
On Wednesday, police searched two homes connected to Baer in Silver Spring and arrested him in D.C. After appearing in court, Baer has been ordered to be held without bond pending trial.
Distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison.
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