CRUMPTON — Maryland State Police on Thursday, Dec. 18 charged a Queen Anne’s County man with five counts each of possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.
Police identified the man as Michael Paul Lane, 50, of Crumpton.
According to a news release, Lane’s arrest came after MSP received a CyberTip by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The subsequent investigation led to the identification of Lane.
Thursday at 5:50 a.m., members of the Maryland State Police Child Exploitation Unit, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations served a search warrant at Lane’s residence.
Lane was interviewed and arrested without incident, according to the news release from the Maryland State Police.
He is being held without bond.
Lane has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 15 in the District Court for Queen Anne’s County. At that time a judge will determine if there is probable cause to believe that Lane committed the offenses.
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The Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit coordinates the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a combined law enforcement effort involving police departments across Maryland that is made possible in part due to grant funds provided by the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy and by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Task force investigators focus on identifying people suspected of being involved in child pornography via the internet and other related crimes that victimize children.