MARYLAND (WBFF) — A Linthicum Heights man has been federally indicted on multiple child exploitation charges, including sexual exploitation of a minor, online coercion and enticement, receipt of child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse images.
Philip Andrew Turner, 46, remains detained ahead of his initial court appearance scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 3, in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before Judge Chelsea Crawford.
According to a 15-count indictment, Turner used an online account to communicate with known child traffickers in the Philippines. Prosecutors say he negotiated payments, selected children, and requested specific sex acts to be broadcast to him. He allegedly received and saved child sexual abuse images to an online storage account and possessed additional commercially available images on his laptop.
Turner was arrested on Oct. 28 by Maryland State Police.
Before his arrest, Turner worked as a trivia host for Charm City Entertainment, a company that runs trivia, music bingo, and karaoke events across Baltimore. He hosted a weekly trivia event at Cross Street Market in Federal Hill. The company said it is “completely devastated and outraged,” adding that Turner is no longer employed there.
If convicted, Turner faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison per count of sexual exploitation of a child.
