HAGERSTOWN -- A state delegate who is under investigation concerning possession of child pornography announced yesterday that he will resign from office, shocking Annapolis and the quiet neighborhood where he lives.
Washington County Sheriff Doug Mullendore said deputies searched the Hagerstown residence of Del. Robert A. McKee on Jan. 31 within 24 hours of receiving a tip that "child pornography was located in the home."
"As a result, we did seize several computers, several videotapes and other printed material," he said.
No charges have been filed against McKee, a Washington County Republican, and Mullendore said it was difficult to say how long the investigation would take because it will require forensic examinations of computers. The FBI is assisting local officials in the case.
Mullendore said authorities are not investigating any allegations of child abuse. He declined to comment further.
McKee, who is unmarried and has no children, said in a statement he was resigning his position as delegate and as executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County.
"For me, this is deeply embarrassing. It reflects poorly on my service to the community," McKee said in the statement. He divulged that his home was searched and that his computer had been seized, "including images that are available on the Internet."
He said he has instructed his attorney - former Del. Timothy F. Maloney - to cooperate with law enforcement officials. McKee also said he intends to enter treatment, but did not say what kind of treatment he would seek.
"My primary focus is to get well and stay well. I know this can happen only with the support and prayers of my family and friends and the help of professionals," he said in the statement.
McKee, who was active in numerous youth athletic and civic groups in his district, was among the General Assembly's leading advocates on children's issues. This year, he co-sponsored a bill that would deny child sexual predators the ability to earn good-conduct credits on their prison sentences. In prior years, he was a co-sponsor of legislation aimed at toughening penalties for sex offenders, or barring them from working in schools.
McKee, 58, was born in Hagerstown and attended junior college there before graduating from Lynchburg College in Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1971. He went on to serve for six years as a corpsman in the Naval Reserve, a post that's equivalent to an Army medic.
McKee got a master's degree in business administration in 1991 from Frostburg State University, and is listed on his General Assembly Web page as a member of the First Christian Church.
A low-key presence in the legislature, McKee rarely spoke in committee hearings or in debates on the House floor. This was his 14th year in the House of Delegates, and many of his colleagues said yesterday that he was well-liked and known not as a partisan legislator but as someone willing to work amiably on assignments for the Ways and Means Committee.
House Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell and Minority Whip Christopher B. Shank said in a joint statement that they were "deeply troubled and shocked to hear of the investigation" of McKee and believe his decision to resign was "appropriate."
"We are confident that the judicial system will thoroughly investigate this matter and take appropriate action as is warranted," the statement said and noted that the Washington County Republican Central Committee will meet soon to determine McKee's replacement.
His resignation is effective Monday, according to a letter he faxed to the office of House Speaker Michael E. Busch, who declined to comment on the resignation.
McKee was in Annapolis Thursday but left in the afternoon, removing some items from his office, according to two people who saw him leave. He did not attend the morning session at the State House yesterday and was also not in his office.
Several phone calls and e-mails to his home and office were not returned. The Republican caucus held a meeting yesterday morning, but numerous delegates declined to say what they discussed.
Rich Wolf, a spokesman for the Baltimore FBI office, said a cyber crimes unit is assisting in the investigation.
"We were asked to provide assistance, and we're doing so," he said.
Elaine Rose, president of the board of directors of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County Maryland, said in a statement that the local office was in contact with the national Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
"We are still in the process of understanding the nature of the investigation, and will cooperate fully with the investigation," she said.
Yesterday afternoon, a man and a woman knocked on the door at McKee's home in Hagerstown and announced they were from the Washington County sheriff's office. No one came to the door at the one-story ranch-style house with a neatly kept yard. The two departed in an unmarked car.
Some neighbors who were home yesterday expressed surprise that someone in their quiet community would face such charges.
"You never think about that around here," said Brett Ramsburg, who has lived around the corner from McKee's house for about two years and who has an 11-month-old daughter.
Keith Clowser, who said he holds a government job, said public employees are under increased scrutiny these days. "It's very surprising to me, but from what I understand they're cracking down," said Clowser, who has lived in the neighborhood for about 10 years, and has two daughters.
bradley.olson@baltsun.com tyeesha.dixon@baltsun.com
Sun reporters Timothy B. Wheeler and Laura Smitherman and the Associated Press contributed to this article.