Source: United States Department of Justice News
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Garnell Eugene Graves, age 59, of Baltimore, to 50 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for four counts of sexual exploitation of a child related to his sexual abuse of five minor victims. The sentence was imposed late on February 10, 2023.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates, and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, from 2007 to 2020, Graves sexually abused five minors between the ages of 6 and 13 years old. Beginning in 2007, Graves regularly sexually abused Minor Victim 1 from the time she was eight until she was 11 years old—and continued to exploit her until she was 16 years old. Graves recorded some of the sexual encounters and sometimes showed Minor Victim 1 the videos of the abuse. Graves also often gave Minor Victim 1 gifts, including a smartphone, in exchange for her “forgiveness” and to encourage her not to inform her mother. Additionally, Graves placed a hidden camera in Minor Victim 1’s bedroom and recorded videos of Minor Victim 1 in various stages of undress.
Graves admitted that he sexually abused Minor Victim 2 when Minor Victim 2 was 12 years old. On three occasions, Graves photographed himself sexually abusing Minor Victim 2, who appeared to be sleeping at the time.
As detailed in the plea agreement, Graves sexually abused Minor Victim 3 from age 6 through age 13. In at least one instance, Graves told Minor Victim 3 that they would get married and have children in the future. Graves also showed Minor Victim 3 images of Graves and Minor Victim 1 engaging in sex acts that were taken during his abuse of Minor Victim 1. Graves admitted that to conceal his conduct and prevent Minor Victim 3 from disclosing Graves’ abuse to others, Graves provided Minor Victim 3 with food, money, and other gifts. When Minor Victim 3 tried to end the abuse, Graves threatened Minor Victim 3 by telling her that if she stopped, he would abuse Minor Victim 5. As a result, Graves continued to abuse Minor Victim 3—and ultimately sexually abused Minor Victim 5 anyway. On at least 11 instances between 2014 and 2017, Graves sexually abused Minor Victim 3 and produced videos and images documenting that abuse.
Graves further admitted that he sexually abused Minor Victim 4 when she was between 9 and 10-years old. In 2017, Graves produced ten images Minor Victim 4 laying on a bed with her genitals exposed. The images were located on Graves’ digital devices. As he had previously done with Minor Victim 1, Graves showed pornography to Minor Victim 3 and Minor Victim 4 on a social media platform and told the victims of his desire to engage in the same conduct with them.
Graves also admitted that he sexually abused Minor Victim 5. Specifically, when Minor Victim 5 was approximately 6 or 7 years old, Graves entered the room where she was sleeping and took Minor Victim 5 to another room, where he sexually abused her. After the encounter, Graves instructed Minor Victim 5 not to tell anyone.
The videos and images documenting Graves’ abuse of Minor Victims 1, 2, 3, and 4, were located on his digital devices after his arrest in December 2020.
Graves has two previous convictions related to his sexual abuse of two other minor victims. Specifically, in 1991, Graves was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a minor child in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In 1998, Graves was convicted of sexual offense in the third-degree involving another victim, in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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