WASHINGTON — Two former staffers of a member of Congress were indicted on federal charges related to sharing nude images and videos of the member and the member’s spouse online.
Juan McCullum, 35, of D.C., is charged with cyberstalking and his former co-worker Dorene Browne-Louis, 45, of Upper Marlboro, is charged with two counts of obstruction of justice.
Federal prosecutors said that McCullum had access to his boss’s smartphone when he took the device for repairs in March 2016. After he left the office’s employment last summer, prosecutors said that McCullum created email and Facebook accounts under a fake name to share the personal videos and images.
Prosecutors said that McCullum “encouraged others on social media to redistribute the images and videos in the member’s congressional district.”
McCullum is accused of sending some of the material to Browne-Louis along with text messages about the videos and images. She is accused of making false or incomplete statements to federal investigators about McCullum’s activities.
Prosecutors said that McCullum worked for the member from April 2015 to June 2016 and Browne-Louis worked for the member’s office from January 2015 to April 2016. Prosecutors did not name the congressmember.
In a 2015 interview with The Hill, McCullum said he worked for Del. Stacey Plaskett, who represents the Virgin Islands as a nonvoting member in Congress.
Last July, Plasket said in a statement that private family images and videos were shared illegally online before a primary election.
“I am shocked and deeply saddened that someone would stoop to such a level as to invade my marriage and the love of my family in an attempt to besmirch me politically,” the statement from last summer said.
Her office on Thursday said it expected to release a new statement by Friday morning but did comment further on the indictments.
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