SNOW HILL — A Worcester County man was sentenced last week to 30 years in jail with all but 20 years suspended after being convicted on three counts of distributing child pornography via the internet.
Last Wednesday, Darrell Richardson, 60, of Pocomoke, was sentenced to 30 years of incarceration with all but 20 years suspended after being convicted on three counts of distribution of child pornography. Richardson will also be on supervised probation for five years upon his release and is required to register as a Tier II sex offender for 25 years.
The charges stem from a cyber tip received by the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) from the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force last February. The cyber tip involved child pornography videos which were traced by investigators to an IP address used by Richardson.
WCBI detectives obtained a search and seizure warrant for Richardson’s electronic devices and discovered he had been distributing pornographic images and videos involving children via email to other online users. Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser commended WCBI detectives and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office for their thorough investigation and thanked Assistant State’s Attorney Karen Dean who prosecuted the case.
“Law enforcement in Worcester County remain a constant online presence to pursue offenders participating in internet crimes against children and my office will continue to work diligently to hold them accountable,” she said. “Our prosecutors and police deserve recognition for these results, as these cases are very difficult and require a high level of specialization. We are fortunate to have such a strong and capable team.”
