Former Harford County detective sentenced to 36 years for sexually exploiting children
A former Harford County detective was sentenced to 36 years in prison on Tuesday for crimes related to sexual exploitation of children.
In December 2025, 51-year-old Ryan Christopher Hall pleaded guilty to charges of sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material. After serving his sentence, he must register as a sex offender for life.
Hall served as a detective with the Harford County Sheriff's Office for nearly 30 years. He had been a domestic violence detective.
Hall's investigation and arrest
Hall was arrested in Carroll County in October 2024. After the arrest, the Harford County Sheriff's Office suspended Hall without pay.
In March 2025, Hall was indicted on charges of sexually abusing two children between Mary 2017 and October 2024. Officials said Hall installed cameras to create child abuse material.
Carroll County detectives spoke with the victims, who said Hall started abusing them when they were about 10 years old. During the investigation, they told detectives that Hall would remove their clothes and inappropriately touch them.
One of the victims told detectives that in one instance, they heard a camera shutter. Police said they recovered a camera under a baseboard heater in the bathroom of a home, which revealed years of sexual abuse material.
According to the Carroll County State's Attorney's Office, the camera was hooked up to other devices.
According to a police report, Hall confessed to installing cameras inside a bathroom and bedroom of a home to create the material, saying it was "because I have a problem."
