Andrew Bradshaw (via screengrab/WJZ-TV)
A Maryland mayor is facing criminal charges after he allegedly distributed images of so-called “revenge porn” in multiple Reddit forums.
Andrew Bradshaw, the mayor of Cambridge, is charged with fifty counts of violating a Maryland law that prohibits distribution of sexually explicit materials without consent, or in a way that is intended to harass.
“Using someone’s private images without their consent is a serious breach of trust and invasion of privacy, and the power and breadth of the internet makes such a violation even more egregious,” State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III said in a press release Monday. “Our office is committed to protecting victims from those who abuse their positions of power and trust.”
Each violation of the Maryland law is a misdemeanor offense.
According to the complaint, Bradshaw distributed sexually explicit images at least 50 times between early April and late May. He allegedly posted the pictures in Reddit forums with titles such as “HumiliatingComments,” “DegradeThisPig,” and “DegradedCaptions.”
Several of the images were accompanied by racist captions. All were posted with sexually explicit captions, many of them degrading. Reddit’s rules prohibit the posting of “intimate or sexually-explicit media of someone without their consent.”
The woman in the pictures was previously romantically involved with Bradshaw. She told police that she had shared the pictures with Bradshaw, but that he posted to Reddit without her knowledge or consent.
According to the complaint, investigators traced the accounts that posted the photos to Bradshaw’s home address.
Bradshaw faces up to two years in prison and a $5,000 for each count.
The city of Cambridge said it is aware of the situation, and it is cooperating with authorities in the investigation.
“The City is aware of the matter involving the Mayor,” a statement on the city’s website said. “The City is currently gathering information and will cooperate fully with the Maryland State Police and the Office of the State Prosecutor. As the City has a Council-Manager form of municipal government whereby the City Manager serves as the chief executive officer of the City and the head of its administrative branch, the business of the City is unaffected.”
At 32, Bradshaw is the youngest-ever mayor of Cambridge. He took office in January 2021.
According to his bio, on the Cambridge city website, Bradshaw is a “lifelong resident” of the Cambridge area. Before becoming mayor, he worked in his family’s towing company and waste disposal business.
Bradshaw is still mayor, according to a Baltimore Sun report.
David Deutsch, Cambridge’s acting city manager, told the Baltimore Sun that the city’s commissioners will be meeting with the city attorney about Bradshaw to examine the city charter and code to see “what options exist and if any action needs to be taken.”
Bradshaw made his first court appearance Monday and was released on his own recognizance, according to court records.
You can read the complaint below. As the state prosecutor’s office noted, “the charging document has been redacted to exclude racial epithets, but does contain sexually explicit language.”
[Image via screengrab/WJZ-TV]
