March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 49 F

Severn man arrested in child pornography charges, also charged with violation of sex offender registry

On January 22th, 2019, the Anne Arundel County Police Child Abuse Unit began an investigation in reference to a report that an unidentified suspect was using an account associated in uploading child pornographic images to a particular internet site. The information was provided by the “National Center for Missing and Exploited Children” (NCMEC) which is a non-profit organization whose mission is to find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation and prevent child victimization. Over the next several months Child Abuse Detectives served several subpoenas and search warrants in an effort to identify the perpetrator.

On April 5th, 2019, Detectives executed a search and seizure warrant at an address in the 8000 block of Wayne Road in Severn Maryland. The suspect, identified as Nicholas Benjamin Hittle, a thirty nine year old male of the same address was on scene and interviewed. Several electronic items were seized and later examined by the Anne Arundel County Digital Forensics Unit.

During the interview, the suspect made admissions he had received specific images of child pornography which were the basis of the investigation but still needed to be forensically verified. The suspect is currently registered in Maryland as a Tier 2 sex offender. Also during the interview, the suspect advised his place of employment, his email address and his social media account which had not been disclosed to the Maryland Sex Offender Registry which is mandated. The suspect was charged on April 10, 2019 for the Maryland Registry violations.

The forensic download of the suspect’s electronic devices provided detectives with corroborating evidence of child pornography.  On May 15th, 2019, Child Abuse detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Nicholas Hittle in reference to the possession of child pornography. The suspect was charged with three counts of possession of child pornography. On May 16, 2019, Hittle was located in the 8000 block of Wayne Road and taken into custody without incident.

ARRESTED:

  • Nicholas Hittle | 39 |  8000 block of Wayne Road | Severn MD
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