Bel Air, MD — A 22-year-old Bel Air man has been arrested on child pornography charges. Christian Shoap was taken into custody after an investigation by Maryland State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
He is charged with four counts of distribution of child pornography and nine counts of possession of child pornography.
In June 2019, troopers from the Maryland State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began investigating Shoap for distributing and possessing child pornography. Investigators obtained files of child pornography that were being distributed online. During the course of the online investigation, they were able to identify and locate Shoap.
At about 6 a.m. Tuesday, the Maryland State Police served a search warrant at the suspect’s home. Preliminary forensic review of Shoap’s electronic devices revealed multiple child pornography files. The devices were seized and will be analyzed by the Maryland State Police Digital Forensics Laboratory. Shoap was arrested without incident. Homeland Security Investigations assisted in this investigation.