Sex offender sentenced to 25 years in prison for solicitation of child pornography; probation violation

LA PLATA, Maryland — Charles County State’s Attorney Tony Covington announced that on Monday, July 1, 2024, Charles County Circuit Court Judge William R. Greer, Jr. sentenced Johnny Darrell Hammonds, 54, of White Plains, to 25 years in prison for 4 counts of solicitation of child pornography. Upon his release, Hammonds will be on supervised probation for five years.

On May 3, 2024, Hammonds pleaded guilty to the aforementioned charges and admitted to violating his probation in a separate case involving the sexual solicitation of a minor.

On July 27, 2023, an officer with the Charles County Sheriff's Office received an anonymous tip that Hammonds was sexually harassing the informant. The informant also reported that Hammonds was using the social media site Quora to send communications.

An investigation revealed that Hammonds used Quora to contact minors and leave inappropriate comments of a sexual nature. Hammonds also exchanged inappropriate messages with four underage female victims and asked them to send him sexually explicit photographs.

In 2010, Hammonds was convicted in Charles County Circuit Court of sexual abuse of a 16-year-old victim. In 2021, he was convicted in Charles County Circuit Court for a separate incident involving sexual solicitation of a minor and failure to register a social media account with the Maryland Sex Offender Registry.

Hammonds, a Level III sex offender, is required to report all of his social media accounts to the Maryland Sex Offender Registry. However, Hammonds has not reported his Quora profile to the Maryland Sex Offender Registry. Additionally, he has been ordered to have no contact with minors, including electronically.

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