By Matt Zapotosky
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 4, 2008

Police arrested a Leonardtown man who is suspected of molesting a 3-year-old girl on four occasions since November.

Christopher Michael Holland, 31, was charged Thursday with four counts of child sexual molestation and four counts of sexual abuse of a child. In St. Mary's County District Court on Friday, he was ordered held without bail pending his next court appearance May 29.

Detectives from the St. Mary's Bureau of Criminal Investigations found Holland sitting in his car March 29 watching animated child pornography on his laptop computer, according to charging documents filed in court by police. After scanning the computer, detectives found pictures of young nude girls, including one photograph of Holland and the 3-year-old who is alleged to have been the victim in the incidents for which he was charged, according to the police statement.

Holland later admitted to a detective that he molested the girl four times, according to charging documents. He also stated his sexual preference for girls "between the ages of four and ten years old," according to the police statement.

The FBI assisted detectives from St. Mary's in the investigation because the case involved animated child pornography, law enforcement officials said. No federal charges have been filed in connection with the case.

Richard Wolf, a spokesman for the FBI in Baltimore, said sometimes a long time gap exists between local and federal charges, especially when it is necessary for federal officials to review electronic materials. But he said the FBI does not hesitate to get involved in child abuse cases because federal charges can be more severe.

"Sometimes, it just takes a long time to go through all this stuff," Wolf said.