MARYLAND (WBFF) — A Harford County man, who is a registered sex offender, has been indicted for child sex abuse crimes that span three states, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Jason Alex Candelaria, 34, of Darlington, Maryland, has been charged with the production of child sex abuse material, online coercion and enticement, and possession of child sex abuse material.
Authorities reported that in 2027, Candelaria was convicted in Maryland of third-degree sexual offenses and was registered as a sex offender at the time of the crimes outlined in the indictment.
In November and December 2025, Candelaria used several social media platforms to communicate with minors in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, according to the indictment.
He allegedly coerced and enticed these minors to produce explicit videos of themselves, which he secretly recorded.
In some cases, Candelaria allegedly traveled to the homes of the minor victims to engage in sexual acts, some of which he recorded.
Authorities later recovered these videos from Candelaria’s cell phone.
If convicted, Candelaria faces a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years in federal prison for the production of child sex abuse material, a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life for online coercion and enticement, and a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years for possession of child sex abuse material, officials reported.
This post was originally published on Fox 45 by Sinclair Media Group.
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