Former Prince George’s County Teacher Indicted On Coercion & Child Enticement

Sunday, October 20, 2024, 7:45 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News, 

GREENBELT, MD.- U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron reported that on Thursday, September 26, 2024, a Federal Grand Jury for the District of Maryland returned an indictment against Mark Edward Cobb, 44, Bowie, Maryland, on the charges of Coercion and Enticement of a Child; and Possession of Child Pornography.

     On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, Cobb appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and was arraigned on the charges unsealed in the indictment.

According To Information In The Indictment

     According to the charging information unsealed in the indictment, during a one-week span, beginning on June 19, 2024, and lasting through June 25, 2024, Cobb enticed and coerced a child victim to engage in sexual activity and possessed sexually explicit digital images involving a prepubescent child who was under the twelve years old.

     The allegations arose when Cobb, a former Prince George’s County elementary school teacher, was accused of engaging in a texting relationship with a nine-year-old student, during which he requested and received explicit photos from the student. 

     During a subsequent court-authorized search of Cobb’s Bowie, Maryland residence, Investigators found sexually explicit digital images of other children, as well as a bag containing several pairs of children’s underwear.

If Convicted Cobb May Face Life In Prison

     If convicted at trial, Cobb faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for the charge of coercion and enticement of a child and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for the charge of possession of child pornography. A federal court judge will determine the term of imprisonment based on the severity of the offenses and Cobb’s prior criminal history, if any.

     The investigation and charges were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusation, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”