SNOW HILL– A former childcare worker pleaded guilty this morning to sex abuse of a minor and manufacturing child pornography, among other charges.
Bruce William Travers, 37, the childcare worker facing more than 30 charges related to child porn and sex abuse, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to six charges. A jury trial had been set for July 12 and 13.
“The court has not yet set the sentencing date, however I would anticipate it being set in October,” Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser said in an email Tuesday. “He continues to be held pending sentencing.”
Travers, who worked at several local daycare centers and in county schools as recently as the spring of 2021, was charged in August 2021 after a tip led to his arrest. Travers was charged with four counts of sex abuse of a minor family or household member with the offense date listed from June 1, 2018 to July 31, 2021. Travers was charged with 15 counts of child porn film in sex act and 15 counts of possession of child pornography. According to charging documents, the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit was contacted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which operates “CyberTipline” to handle reports of child sexual exploitation. The CyberTip included a file that was uploaded to Bing, according to charging documents, and depicted child pornography.
Bruce Travers
The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation went on to seize laptops, cell phones, thumb drives, camera memory cards and several pieces of children’s clothing from Travers’ residence on Brandywine Drive. According to charging documents, Travers admitted to possessing child porn and said he used children’s clothing to fantasize.
Travers reportedly told police three children — all elementary-school aged kids — had stayed at the house in the past.
When interviewed, the children’s guardian told investigators she met Travers through his employment at a local daycare, which was not named in the charging documents, and eventually entrusted Travers with the children, according to charging documents. Travers reportedly stayed with the family off and on between 2018 and 2021 and was also permitted to care for the children at his residence, according to documents. Forensic examinations on the electronic devices seized revealed various explicit nude photos of the children, according to charging documents.
Travers was charged with more than 30 counts in multiple cases last August and pleaded guilty to six of those counts Tuesday. In the first case Travers plead guilty to one count of sex abuse of a minor and one count of manufacturing child pornography. Sentencing was postponed for a pre-sentence investigation, according to Heiser.
In the second case, Travers plead guilty to one count of sex abuse of a minor, one count of manufacturing child pornography, one count of sex abuse of a minor by a household member and one count of manufacturing child pornography.
Travers was working at Little Lambs Learning Center prior to his arrest and had been approved to be hired as an educational assistant by Worcester County Public Schools. He had previously worked as a substitute teacher in county schools.
