Hagerstown Woman Sentenced In US District Court For Sexual Solicitation Of Minors

She will also be put on life time supervised release when she  gets out of prison.Baltimore, Md (KM) Sentence was handed down on Tuesday to a Hagerstown woman for sexual exploitation of minors. . In US District Court in Baltimore, Ashley Marie Tibbs, 34, was given 20 years in federal prison. When she gets out, Tibbs will be required to undergo a lifetime of supervised release, and must register as a sex offender where she works, lives and is a student.The US Attorney’s Office for Maryland says Tibbs admitted in her plea agreement that she sexually abused two minors ages two and five, and produced videos of the abuse. The videos were sent to co-defendant John Balch in exchange for money. Prosecutors say Balch paid Tibbs $38,325 through Cash App.Balch has been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting six minors.Two other co-defendants, Jane Campbell and Amber Rickets, were sentenced to 17 years and 10 years respectively in federal prison for distribution of child pornography, federal prosecutors say.The case was brought about by Project Safe Childhood which is a nationwide effort launched in May 2006, by the US Department of Justice. Its purpose is  combating the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. It’s lead by US Attorney’s Offices in the country and the Criminal Division; Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. Project Safe Childhood brings together federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children; and identify and rescue victims.By Kevin McManus