Mechanicsville Man Arrested for Possession and Distribution of Child Pornography

December 2, 2019
Jason Cutler Melvin, 41, of Mechanicsville

Jason Cutler Melvin, 41, of Mechanicsville

In June 2019, the Maryland State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force received one Cybertip from the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in reference to someone distributing child pornography. The cybcrtip, was reported by Tumblr and that the report was created in Tumblr’s system on 4-24-19.

Police reviewed the cybcrtip and observed there were 5 video files and 2 image files. Some of the files were considered child pornography and some were considered child erotica. The username on the Tumblr account was jasoncm78. Authorities viewed all 7 files and determined at least four of files contained child pornography.

On August 13, 2019, at approximately 5:50 a.m., the Maryland State Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search and seizure warrant at a residence on Budds Creek Road, in Mechanicsville. During the execution of the search warrant, two adults (Jason Cutler Melvin, 41, of Mechanicsville, and a female) and two juveniles were located inside of the residence.

Jason Melvin was interviewed in a spare room in the residence, police read Melvin his Miranda rights, and he acknowledged and waived his rights, agreeing to speak with them. Melvin advised that he has lived at the residence for 3-4 years and that it was his mother’s residence. When asked about electronics, Melvin advised there was a Dell laptop and smart television in the living room. He advised that he has a Samsung Galaxy S8 cell phone. Police advised Melvin that they were investigating child pornography at his residence. Melvin first advised that he has never seen child pornography or downloaded child pornography and that there would be nothing on his phone or laptop. He advised he hasn’t used the laptop in approximately one year and that he mostly uses his phone for the Internet. He advised that the wi-fi was through Atlantic Broadband and that the account is under his name. Melvin advised that he did use Tumblr, but that he deleted his account about 6 months ago. Melvin admitted that his username was jasoncm78. When questioned again about looking at child pornography, he advised that he has looked at a few threads on Tumblr. He said he never produced anything or distributed anything. Melvin said that he looks at child pornography periodically and that he first observed it when he was 17 years old and then goes through spells of looking at it, then deleting it, then looking at it again. He advised that he has been looking at child pornography for approximately 20 years. He advised that after Tumblr stopped showing pornography on the site, he started looking at another app, but could not remember what it was called. He told police that there will probably be child pornography on his phone in the app and possibly in the gallery. He advised that when looking at child pornography, the age range he would look for was 13 years old to 18 years old. During the search warrant, investigators located one laptop and two cell phones belonging to Melvin. Other cellphones in the residence not belonging to Melvin were examined and there was no evidence located.

A forensic examination yielded child erotica and child pornography on Melvin’s cell phone.

Jason Cutler Melvin, 41, of Mechanicsville, was charged with six counts of possession of child pornography and 4 counts of distribution of child pornography.

An arrest warrant was issued for Melvin on November 13th, and served on Melvin on November 27, 2019, at BWI Airport.

Jason Cutler Melvin, 41, of Mechanicsville

Jason Cutler Melvin, 41, of Mechanicsville