Maryland mayor charged with posting revenge porn images of his ex-girlfriend to Reddit forums

The mayor of a Maryland town was accused of distributing revenge porn after he allegedly posted online nude photographs of a woman he was involved with romantically in the past.

In court documents, state prosecutors claimed Cambridge Mayor Andrew Bradshaw, 32, created multiple accounts on Reddit in permutations of his alleged victim’s name and birthdate.

Between April and May, prosecutors alleged, he “posted nude photographs of [the woman], captioned with racial slurs and sexually explicit language, on those ‘Reddit’ accounts and various ‘Subreddit’ forums that were related to sexual activity, humiliation, degradation, race, and other topics.”

According to the documents, the woman was unaware the photographs, which prosecutors said showed her face and intimate parts, were allegedly shared online without her consent and “with the intent to harm her.”

The woman discovered the photos were online after she was no longer in a relationship with Bradshaw and she filed a complaint with Maryland authorities.

Bradshaw, who took office last January, was charged with 50 counts of distributing revenge porn. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years behind bars and a $5,000 fine for each count.

He was released on his own recognizance after appearing in court on Nov. 15.

“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, adding, “Our office is committed to protecting victims from those who abuse their positions of power and trust.”