Date: 04-25-2023

Case Style:

United States of America v. Lawrence Aquilla Colby, IV, a/k/a “Buddy”

Case Number: 1:22-cr-00220

Judge: Richard D. Bennett

Court: United States District Court for the District of Maryland (Baltimore County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office in Baltimore

Defendant's Attorney:

Description: Baltimore, Maryland criminal defense lawyer represented Defendants charged with conspiracy to sexually abuse a child, from the age of approximately four months to two years old, to producing and receiving images documenting the sexual abuse of the child, and to possession of child pornography.


Lawrence Aquilla Colby, IV, a/k/a “Buddy,” age 34, of Elkton, Maryland, admitted that he and his co-conspirator, Summer McCroskey, sexually abused a child, starting at the time the victim was approximately four months of age through at least October 2021, when the victim was two years old, and produced videos and images of the abuse. Both Colby and McCroskey participated in the abuse. Additionally, Colby received files documenting the sexual abuse of the child, which were sent to him by McCroskey.

Colby faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and for each of five counts of sexual exploitation of a child; a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each of three counts of receipt of child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for Colby on July 27, 2023.

Co-defendant Summer McCroskey, age 25, also of Elkton, previously pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.

This case was brought as 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 www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Colleen E. McGuinn who are prosecuting the case.'

18:2251(e) and 18:3559(e)(1) CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A CHILD
(1)
18:2251(a) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A CHILD; 18:2 AIDING AND ABETTING
(3-4)
18:2251(a) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A CHILD; 18:2 AIDING AND ABETTING
(6)
18:2251(a) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A CHILD; 18:2 AIDING AND ABETTING
(9-10)
18:2252(a)(2) & 2256 RECEIPT OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY; 18:2 AIDING AND ABETTING
(14)
18:2252(a)(2) & 2256 RECEIPT OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY; 18:2 AIDING AND ABETTING
(16)
18:2252(a)(2) & 2256 RECEIPT OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY; 18:2 AIDING AND ABETTING
(18)
18:2252(a)(2)A(a)(5)(B) & 2256 POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY; 18:2 AIDING AND ABETTING
(22)

Outcome: Defendant pleaded guilty.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: