BERLIN- A Worcester County man was indicted by a federal grand jury this week on charges of child pornography production, possession and distribution following his arrest in Stockton in February.
Laiton Blake Witkowski, 41, of Stockton, was indicted by a federal grand jury last Friday on seven counts of producing, possessing and distributing child pornography. Back on Feb. 10, Witkowski turned himself in at the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office after a search warrant was executed at his Stockton home three days earlier. Witkowski was charged initially in Worcester County Circuit Court, but was indicted in U.S. District Court last Friday.
The execution of the search warrant was the result of the combined efforts of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the Department of Homeland Security. Through their affiliation with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, detectives learned Witkowski had allegedly been sharing images of known child pornography.
The seven-count federal indictment alleges Witkowksi produced images of two minor females engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images, which appear to have been taken without the victims’ knowledge, show one victim who appears to be sleeping and another victim as she is using the restroom.
The indictment further alleges Witkowski distributed and possessed other images of child pornography including images of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused.
Witkowski faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for each of the two counts of production of child pornography. He also faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography and a maximum of 20 years for each of the four counts of possession of child porn. Witkowski was formally arraigned in U.S. District Court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The indictment was announced by U.S. District Attorney Rod Rosenstein, Special Agent In-Charge William Winter, Worcester County Sheriff Reggie Mason, Maryland State Police Superintendent Col. Marcus Brown and Worcester County State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby.