Local Man Indicted In U.S. District Court

OCEAN CITY -- A West Ocean City man remains behind bars this week after being indicted in U.S. District Court on federal possession of child pornography charges.

Lawrence King III, 41, of West Ocean City, was arrested last October and charged with 13 counts of possession of child pornography after members of the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit served a warrant on his Golf Course Rd. home after receiving information from authorities in Anne Arundel County.

The investigation into King's activities began when the Anne Arundel County Police Department received information the suspect was in possession of child pornography. State Police troopers assigned to the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children task force then assisted Anne Arundel authorities with an execution of a search warrant at King's West Ocean City home.

King was scheduled to appear in District Court last Friday for a preliminary hearing, but the charges against him locally were dropped when federal prosecutors sought their own indictment. Instead, King appeared in U.S. District Court in Baltimore last Friday and was formally arraigned on federal child pornography possession charges. U.S. Magistrate Judge Mildred Methvin ordered King be incarcerated in federal prison pending trial.

King’s indictment was announced this week by U.S. District Court Attorney Rod Rosenstein, in cooperation with the FBI, the Maryland State Police, Anne Arundel County Police, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and the Worcester County State’s Attorney.

State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby said this week the collaborative efforts of the various federal, state and local agencies resulted in King’s indictment.

“Our community demands that these types of offenders be held completely accountable for their actions, and we know that our cooperation with federal prosecutors in this manner will help achieve this goal,” he said.

According to the federal indictment, on Oct. 10, 2010, King was allegedly found in possession of at least four images and a video documenting the sexual abuse of minors.

King faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years if convicted in federal court on child pornography possession charges. He remains detained on related state charges pending trial in U.S. District Court. No new appearances have been scheduled.