Maryland mayor charged with 50 counts of 'revenge porn' after allegedly posting nude photos
SALISBURY, Md. – Cambridge Mayor Andrew Bradshaw faces 50 counts of distributing "revenge porn," according to Maryland's Office of the State Prosecutor.
A news release Monday announcing the charges shows Bradshaw is accused of posting nude photos of a person with whom he had had a romantic relationship on the internet forum Reddit without that person's knowledge or consent.
Maryland law "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," the release says.
The investigation began when the accuser reported to law enforcement in May 2021 that she found nude photos of herself posted publicly on Reddit.
Court documents available on the Office of the State Prosecutor website say the woman told investigators that Bradshaw was the only person to whom she had sent those images and that she had not given him permission to distribute them.
The usernames associated with the accounts used to post photos of the woman's "face and intimate parts" on Reddit were made up of variations of the victim's legal name and/or date of birth, according to documents.
Prosecutors noted the images were posted on Subreddit forums "related to sexual activity, humiliation, degradation, race and other topics" along with captions containing "racial slurs and sexually explicit language."
Charging documents show investigators were able to connect the accounts used to post the photos to an address for a property owned by Bradshaw.
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“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. Our office is committed to protecting victims from those who abuse their positions of power and trust," Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III said in a statement.
Each of the 50 counts carries a maximum potential penalty of two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Bradshaw began his tenure as Cambridge mayor in January 2021 after beating the incumbent mayor in a runoff election in December 2020.
A short statement posted to the city of Cambridge website Monday acknowledged officials were aware of the investigation and planned to cooperate with Maryland authorities.
City officials declined to comment any further because it "is an active legal matter," according to the statement.