Maryland man pleads guilty to possession of child pornography, faces up to 20 years

Baltimore County (WBFF) — A Catonsville man has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Maryland announced Tuesday.

Steven Kelban, 50, was identified as a suspect during an online investigation by the Baltimore County Police Department into the BitTorrent network, which officials say is known for trafficking child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to the plea agreement, Kelban has two prior convictions related to child pornography.

In 2015, he was convicted in Alabama for possession of "obscene matter" involving persons under 17. The following year, he was convicted in Baltimore County for distribution of child pornography.

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After being released from prison in Alabama on November 20, 2023, Kelban returned to Maryland and registered as a sex offender on November 21, 2023, using an address in Baltimore County.

On November 28, 2023, investigators say they connected Kelban's IP address to a torrent containing over 2,000 files, including suspected child pornography. The IP address was traced back to Kelban’s residence, the same address he registered as a sex offender.

Kelban faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 8, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett.

The plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes, alongside officials from the FBI, Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Baltimore County Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood for prosecuting the case.