Detective Pleads Guilty To Child Sex Abuse Charges

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — A former Harford County detective has pleaded guilty to charges of the sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material.

On Monday, Ryan Christopher Hall, 50, of Woodstock entered his guilty plea. Hall is a former domestic violence detective who served 27 years with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.

According to court documents, from May 2017 thru October 2024, Hall sexually abused two minor children. Authorities discovered that Hall had installed cameras to produce child sexual abuse material and possessed child sexual abuse material. Hall also is facing related charges for child sexual abuse in the Carroll County Circuit Court, according to the Department of Justice.

Hall faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count of sexual exploitation of a child. He also is subject to lifetime supervised release and lifetime registration as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson scheduled his sentencing for March 3 at 2 p.m.