Andrew Bradshaw, youngest-ever mayor of Cambridge, Maryland, faces 50 counts of distributing recent porn after he allegedly posted explicit photos of his ex on social media.
The 32-year-old is charged with violating Maryland's revenge porn statute, the state prosecutor said. Bradshaw is accused of making numerous accounts containing parts of the victim's name and birthdate to post nude images of her without her consent on the forum website Reddit, according to court documents.
The photos were posted on forums related to sex, humiliation, degradation and race, the prosecutor's office said. Many of the captions included racial slurs and sexually explicit language.
"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 Howard said. "Our office is committed to protecting victims from those who abuse their positions of power and trust."
The victim, around age 26, discovered the images in May. She reported the incident to law enforcement and told them that the images were only sent to one other person: Bradshaw.
She told police that she was no longer romantically involved with him and she did not give Bradshaw permission to distribute the photos, which showed her face and "intimate parts," according to court documents.
In one subReddit forum, Bradshaw allegedly posted explicit images of the victim on Easter with the caption, "He is risen, but I'd like to make something rise In your pants ;)."
Another image of the victim with the caption "Tell me all about how worthless my chubby body is" was also posted in the degraded captions subreddit.
Investigators traced the internet protocol (IP) address associated with the posts and found that the residence is owned by Bradshaw.
Charging documents allege that the mayor knowingly distributed the images without the victim's consent with the intention to harm her. Bradshaw faces up to two years in jail if convicted and a $5,000 fine for each count, or a maximum of $250,000. He is being held without bond.
A statement on the city's website states that they are aware of the matter involving the mayor and they are gathering information to 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," the public notice stated. "As this is an active legal matter, no further comments will be made at this time."
Bradshaw is a lifelong resident of Cambridge and became the city's youngest mayor after taking office in January 2021, according to the city's website.
"The allegations against Mayor Bradshaw involve private matters that are unfortunately playing themselves out in a public forum," his Attorney Michael Belsky said in a statement provided to Newsweek. "Nothing about the allegations in any way affect Mayor Bradshaw's desire and intent to continue to lead all the citizens of Cambridge."
Updated 11/16/2021, 4:36 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with a comment from Andrew Bradshaw's attorney Michael Belsky.
