A Linthicum Heights man and former Baltimore trivia host was indicted by a grand jury Thursday on federal charges for his alleged involvement with a child sex trafficking ring in the Philippines, according to a news release issued Friday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Philip Turner, 46, was indicted on five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, five counts of online coercion and enticement, three counts of receipt of child sexual abuse material and two counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
If convicted, Turner could face up to 30 years in federal prison for each count of sexual exploitation of a child, the news release said.
Federal public defender Jonathan Hettleman, who is representing Turner, declined to comment on the case Friday afternoon.
Last month, Turner, then a Charm City Entertainment trivia host, was arrested by Maryland State Police and charged in the state with four counts of sexual solicitation of a minor, five counts of possessing child pornography and several counts of producing child pornography.
Police said Turner paid child sex traffickers to direct 10- to 13-year-old girls to engage in sexual acts in the Philippines and other countries. A forensic review allegedly showed he engaged in this activity multiple times.
A week after getting arrested by Maryland State Police, Turner was federally charged with participating in international sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation.
In its release issued Friday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Turner received child sex abuse material from the traffickers that he saved to an account. Prosecutors said Turner was also in possession of commercially available child sex abuse material on his laptop.
Last month, Charm City Entertainment sent a statement to The Baltimore Sun saying that it was “completely devastated and outraged” and had cut ties with Turner.
According to the release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Turner has an initial appearance scheduled for Dec. 3 in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore.
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