A Baltimore man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of sexually exploiting a minor and possessing child sexual abuse material. The indictment against Jose Adan Lopez-Guevara, 37, was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron, in coordination with law enforcement partners. If convicted, Lopez-Guevara faces a steep minimum sentence of 15 years to a maximum of 30 years for each of the five counts.
The charges allege that Lopez-Guevara persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor male to engage in sexually explicit conduct to create visual depictions. These serious accusations come with a weighty potential sentence — a maximum of 20 years for possession of child sexual abuse material. However, as stated by the Justice Department, sentences for federal crimes are often less than the maximum penalties, to be determined by a federal district court judge.
Lopez-Guevara was allegedly found in possession of the abusive material on December 12, 2024. Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative led by the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, is involved in the case. This project focuses on using federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals who sexually exploit children and rescue victims.
Mr. Barron and other law enforcement officials praised the collaborative efforts of the agencies involved in the investigation.
