HSI Baltimore investigations lead to indictments for 2 men, 6 women in conspiracies to sexually exploit children

BALTIMORE — Two investigations conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore resulted in two men and six women being indicted for their part in two separate conspiracies to produce sexually explicit images of children.

The first HSI investigation led to the Feb. 1 indictments of John W. Balch, 75, of Jacksonville, Florida, formerly of Frederick; Jane Ellen Campbell, 34, of Hagerstown; and Ashley Marie Tibbs, 32, of Hagerstown, for conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, and related charges involving five minor victims.

A second HSI Baltimore investigation led to an additional indictment, returned on March 1, charging Eugene Edward Golden, 36, of Baltimore; Edna Lenore Dineen Lopez, 32, of Baltimore; Crystal Olivia Wright, 28, of Baltimore; April Denise Dunbar, 27, of Cordova, Tennessee; and Quanita Saquia Kellie Hines, 27, of Baltimore, with conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, and related charges involving 10 minor victims.

“These investigations proved fruitful in that they led to charges for eight individuals who allegedly harmed children,” said HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris. “While it is terrible that in these cases children were potentially harmed, no degree of difficulty will prevent HSI from doing everything within our power to protect the residents of Maryland.”

According to HSI Baltimore’s investigations, Balch and Golden communicated with their co-defendants and others through text messages, messaging apps, social media platforms, websites and the internet. Balch and Golden paid their co-defendants to produce depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, which the women co-defendants then sent to them.

The investigations also showed that Balch and a co-conspirator who resided in Martinsburg, West Virginia, conspired to and did transport another minor victim from West Virginia to Hagerstown, where Balch engaged in illegal sexual acts with the victim. The victim was under 15 during the time of the conspiracy. Balch agreed to pay, and did pay, the co-conspirator to transport the victim from West Virginia to Maryland, and also to produce visual depictions of the minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct, which the co-conspirator sent to Balch using the internet.

HSI Baltimore and HSI Frederick conducted the investigations with significant contributions from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the Maryland State Police, the Howard County Police Department, the Hagerstown Police Department, the Baltimore Police Department and the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Anyone who believes they may have information about the Balch case should contact HSI Frederick at HSIFrederick@hsi.dhs.gov or call the HSI tipline at 866-DHS-2423. The HSI tipline is manned 24 hours a day.

If convicted, all the defendants face maximum sentences of 30 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child.

Both women face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Balch and Golden both face maximum sentences of 20 years in federal prison for every count of receipt of child pornography and maximum sentences of 20 years in federal prison for each count of possession of child pornography. Balch also faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for each count of coercion and enticement of a child, conspiracy to transport a minor and transportation of a minor.

Golden, Lopez, Wright and Dunbar also face maximum sentences of life in federal prison for each count of child sex trafficking.

If convicted, the defendants will be required to register as sex offenders in the places where they reside, work or attend school under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Balch, Campbell, Tibbs, Golden, Lopez, Wright and Dunbar were arrested previously, had initial appearances, and were detained pending trial.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty during criminal proceedings.

These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)