Silver Spring — Joseph Ruben Baer, 20, from Silver Spring, Maryland, has been charged with distribution of child [censored]ography, as disclosed by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and key law enforcement officials.
The indictment, unsealed today, details Baer’s alleged dissemination of video files on April 18, 2024, showing the sexual exploitation of minor boys through a social media application.
Baer was apprehended today following a surveillance operation by the FBI-MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. An undercover agent, posing as a pedophile on an online platform known to attract individuals with a sexual interest in children, engaged Baer. During their interaction, Baer reportedly shared explicit videos of himself and other abusive content targeting prepubescent boys.
Following his arrest in the District of Columbia, Baer was taken to U.S. District Court where he was ordered held without bond. The charges against him carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and could extend up to 20 years in prison.
The case is assigned to Judge Loren L. AliKhan, and the final sentence will consider various statutory factors and Sentencing Guidelines.