A federal grand jury has indicted Stephen Nicholas Westcott, 35, of Kennedyville, Maryland, on charges related to child sexual exploitation and firearms violations. The indictment alleges that Westcott produced sexually explicit images of a young child under the age of five and distributed child sexual abuse materials using online platforms such as Snapchat, Discord, and Telegram. He is also accused of possessing a collection of child sexual abuse material on his personal devices.
Law enforcement officials arrested Westcott in Manistee County, Michigan, after he left Maryland following the issuance of an arrest warrant in February 2025.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment along with representatives from the FBI Baltimore Field Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Maryland State Police (MSP), and state’s attorneys from Cecil and Kent counties.
The 13-count indictment includes charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, and Illegal Possession of an Unregistered Silencer. If convicted on all counts, Westcott faces mandatory minimum sentences ranging from five to fifteen years per count for certain offenses and maximum sentences up to thirty years for others. Sentences for federal crimes are determined by a judge who considers federal guidelines and other statutory factors.
Authorities emphasized that “an indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.”
The case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative established in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen E. McGuinn for prosecuting the case.
Further details about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office are available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
