A 65-year-old Bowie man pleaded guilty Tuesday to possessing and distributing child pornography, and faces a potential 30 years in prison.
John Shutt's plea, announced by Rod J. Rosenstein, the U.S. Attorney for Maryland, stems from an investigation that discovered that in February 2010 a man later identified as Shutt distributed images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct to a website where users could download them.
A search warrant was executed at Shutt's home in September and computers and other digital media were seized. Examination of the computers revealed about 1,483 images and 32 videos of child pornography. During the search, Shutt admitted that he had downloaded and possessed child pornography for more 15 years and traded images with others he met online, according to a statement released by Rosenstein's office.
Shutt, who must register as a sex offender, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography and 10 more years for possession of such materials, followed by up to lifetime of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams Jr. scheduled sentencing for Sept. 29.