Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Monday, August 26, 2024, Charles County Circuit Court Judge William R. Greer, Jr. sentenced Dustin Marcel Brown, 39, of Waldorf, to 35 years in prison for five counts of Child Pornography: Film in Sex Act. Brown will be on supervised probation for five years after his release.
Upon his release, he is also required to register as a Tier II sex offender for 25 years.
Brown pleaded guilty to the aforementioned charges on March 8, 2024.
On August 29, 2023, officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Waldorf for the report of a suspicious item located inside the residence.
Officers spoke with the victim’s mother upon arrival. The victim’s mother reported that she located a hidden camera inside a ceiling-mounted smoke alarm in her then-16-year-old daughter’s bedroom.
An investigation revealed that Brown, who was known to the victim and her mother, installed the camera in the victim’s bedroom without their knowledge. Two micro-SD cards were recovered from inside the residence. The SD cards contained over 4,000 video clips. One of the SD cards contained 81 videos identified as pornography.
During the investigation, Brown admitted to installing the camera.
During sentencing, the Assistant State’s Attorney assigned to the case told the judge, “This young lady, her mother, and [Brown’s] children will forever be changed and impacted by [Brown’s] actions.” She furthered that Brown was supposed to protect the victim, not act in his own “selfish, self-satisfying interest.”
