Cambridge Mayor Charged With Distribution Of Revenge Porn

Cambridge Mayor Andrew Bradshaw has been charged with 50 counts of distributing revenge porn, according to criminal allegations filed Monday in the Circuit Court of Dorchester County.

According to Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard, Bradshaw is alleged to have created multiple accounts on Reddit, the public internet forum, employing public usernames consisting of permutations of the name and birthdate of a person with whom he had a past romantic relationship. Bradshaw is accused of then posting nude photographs of the woman, identified for these purposes as VICTIM-1, captioned with what are described as racial slurs and sexually explicit language, on those Reddit accounts and various Subreddit forums that were “related to sexual activity, humiliation, degradation, race and other topics.”

It is further alleged that Bradshaw disseminated the images without the knowledge or consent of VICTIM-1 and with the intent to harm her.

“Using someone’s private images without their consent is a serious breach of trust and invasion of privacy, and the power and breadth of the internet makes such a violation even more egregious”, Howard said, “Our office is committed to protecting victims from those who abuse their positions of power and trust.”

According to a statement Monday from the Prosecutor’s Office:

Maryland’s Revenge Porn Statute, Maryland Criminal Law Article § 3-809, prohibits the nonconsensual distribution of a private visual representation of another which exposes their intimate body parts or displays them engaged in sexual activity, with the intent to harm, harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce the person depicted.  If convicted, Mr. Bradshaw would face a maximum penalty of two years’ incarceration and a $5,000 fine for each count.

The Office of the State Prosecutor said the charges came about through a collaboration with Maryland State Police and Easton Police.

“All individuals who are charged with a criminal offense are presumed to be innocent,” the statement added.

To read a copy of the charging document, please click HERE. (WARNING: sexually explicit language, however racial epithets have been redacted.)

Bradshaw was the winner of a runoff election for Mayor of Cambridge last December. His home and City Hall office were searched in August as part of an investigation.