Air Force major faces nearly 130 child pornography charges in Maryland
Major Richard F. Gayson of the U.S. Air Force was indicted on almost 130 counts after investigators linked him to more than 120 illegal child-exploitation images and videos.
Richard F. Gayson, a major stationed in Fort Washington, Maryland, has been charged with nearly 130 counts of child sexual abuse material offenses. Authorities say he stored more than 120 illicit images and videos across several electronic devices, including a 64-GB USB drive and two smartphones. The case originated when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported 21 child-pornography videos uploaded to a cloud service in late 2025, prompting a police investigation that traced the content back to Gayson.
After interviewing him in early 2026, detectives obtained a search warrant, confiscated laptops, phones and external drives, and arrested him on May 6. He was later released on home detention on July 10 and is set to return to court on October 9. The charges were filed by the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing challenges in detecting and prosecuting child exploitation within the military.
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