Cambridge Mayor Andrew Bradshaw Charged With Distributing Revenge Porn On Reddit
CAMBRIDGE, Md. (WJZ) -- Cambridge Mayor Andrew Bradshaw is charged with violating Maryland's revenge porn statute, the Office of the State Prosecutor said Monday.
Bradshaw, who is charged with 50 counts of distributing revenge porn, made his first appearance in court Monday and was released on his own recognizance.
The charges allege that Bradshaw, 32, posted nude photographs on the site of a roughly 26-year-old woman with whom he had a past romantic relationship, and were accompanied by captions "with racial slurs and sexually explicit language."
The photos were uploaded under accounts he created with usernames that included variations of the name and birthdate of his alleged and currently unnamed victim, and posted to multiple "subreddit" forums "related to sexual activity, humiliation, degradation, race, and other topics," according to a press release from the state attorney. "DegradeThisPig" and "Slut" were among the subreddits the photos were posted to.
If convicted, Bradshaw would face a maximum penalty of two years incarceration and a $5,000 fine for each count. He made his first court appearance on the matter on Monday and was released on his own recognizance
"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", said State Prosecutor Charlton Howard, "Our office is committed to protecting victims from those who abuse their positions of power and trust."
On its website, the city of Cambridge says it is "gathering information and will cooperate fully with the Maryland State Police and the Office of the State Prosecutor." The business of the city is "unaffected" by the matter, the city said.
Bradshaw took office in Cambridge in January, at which time he became the youngest mayor in the city's history, according to the city's website.