Former coach faces new charges for pornography production
Federal court papers say multiple minors were victims of Imel
On Nov. 18, a federal grand jury handed down a five-count indictment against an Owings man who was arrested earlier this year on charges of sex abuse of a minor. Federal prosecutors have charged Moshe Michael Imel, 51, with five counts of production of child pornography involving two minor victims.
In a U.S. Department of
Justice press release, authorities stated, “law enforcement believes there may be other victims.”
In April, a Calvert County grand jury served Imel, a former high school and youth football coach, with three separate state indictments totaling 23 counts related the sexual abuse of three males. Court documents indicate the abuses date back to 2012 with one of the victims.
Imel remains incarcerated in the Calvert County Detention Center.
The federal press release stated Imel will have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt at a later date.
According to federal court papers, during two months in 2018, “Imel persuaded, enticed and coerced” one victim “to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce images documenting the sexually explicit conduct.”
The indictment stated a similar enticement and coercion occurred with a second victim in 2020.
Federal officials stated the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative established in 2006.
Imel could receive a maximum 30-year sentence if convicted of the federal charges.
According to state court documents, Imel has a plea hearing in Calvert County Circuit Court on the state charges scheduled for Nov. 29. He is tentatively scheduled to go on trial on those charges next April.
Authorities said Imel coached at Northern High School in Calvert and a youth football team, the Patuxent Rhinos, in Prince George’s County.
Anyone who might have more information on suspected sexual abuse is urged to call Homeland Security Investigations’ tip line 1-866-347-2423.