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Eden resident John Kearns, 43, has been charged with multiple counts of possession of child pornography following his arrest on Friday, Nov. 4, a spokesperson for the Maryland State Police Department announced.
In May, investigators with the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division Eastern Region received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children related to the downloading and possession of child pornography from a social media platform.
Investigators were able to link the account to Kearns through their investigation and recovered several hundred images of child pornography, officials said.
During the first week of November, investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Kearns, who was apprehended by members of the Maryland State Police Apprehension Team in Eden on Friday without incident.
Police said that the investigation determined that Kearns volunteers as a coach for youth sports, though there are no indications that there are children directly involved with the child porn crime.
Kearns was released on bond after his initial court appearance. No return court date has been announced by state police.
The investigation into Kearns is ongoing.
Anyone with information about Kearns or any other potential transgressions has been asked to contact police at the Princess Anne Barrack by calling (443) 260-3700 if they learn their child has been a victim.
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