25-Year Mandatory Minimum Faces Harford Man in New Federal Child Sex Case

A 34-year-old man from Darlington, Maryland, faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in federal prison following an indictment released Friday. The charges relate to new child sexual abuse offenses that prosecutors say spanned three states between November and December 2025.

Candelaria, a registered sex offender, is accused of using social media platforms to communicate with minors in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. The indictment alleges he coerced the children into producing sexually explicit videos and secretly recorded them without their knowledge.

According to prosecutors, the alleged interactions moved beyond digital platforms in some cases. Candelaria reportedly traveled to victims' homes to engage in sexual acts, which were also recorded. Investigators later found the videos on Candelaria's cell phones.

The 2017 Maryland conviction for third-degree sexual offenses places him on the sex offender registry during the alleged timeframe. He now faces three federal counts: production of child sexual abuse material, online coercion and enticement, and possession of child sexual abuse material.

The production charge carries a mandatory minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years. The coercion and enticement charge requires a minimum of 10 years, with a potential life sentence. The possession charge carries a sentence between 10 and 20 years.