Eastern Shore Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Teenager

Baltimore, Maryland - A Maryland man pled guilty in federal court, today, to child sex-abuse crimes.

Timothy William Fish, 38, of McDaniel, is charged with sexually exploiting a child after meeting the minor victim online.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; State's Attorney Joseph Coale, Talbot County State's Attorney's Office; and Sheriff Joseph J. Gamble, Talbot County Sheriff's Office (TCSO).

According to his guilty plea, between December 2024 and July 2025, Fish sexually exploited a minor while she was 16 and 17 years old. Fish recorded the minor victim during video calls and recorded himself with her while the two engaged in sexual acts. Fish saved the produced child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) on his cellphones.

During the spring and summer of 2025, Fish traveled to the minor victim's location, picked her up at home or at school, and then drove to a nearby park to engage in sex acts which he also recorded. On at least five occasions, Fish drove more than 100 miles to engage in sex acts with the victim in his car.

Without the minor victim's knowledge or permission, Fish used his Snapchat account to send the sexually explicit files to others. On Oct. 28, 2025, law enforcement arrested Fish on state charges of sexually solicitating a minor after he unknowingly was communicating with an undercover law-enforcement officer online. Authorities then seized Fish's cellphones on which they discovered CSAM.

Fish is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child. Sentencing is set for Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2027, at 2:30 p.m.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Talbot County State's Attorney's Office, and TCSO for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md.

# # #