McDaniel Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sex Crimes
Talbot County, MD - A McDaniel man has admitted in federal court that he sexually exploited a teenage girl he first met online. Timothy William Fish, 38, entered his guilty plea on November 13, 2026.
Fish now faces at least 15 years in federal prison, and he could get as many as 30. His sentencing is set for Tuesday, February 23, 2027, at 2:30 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes of the District of Maryland shared news of the plea. She was joined by Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, Talbot County State's Attorney Joseph Coale and Talbot County Sheriff Joseph J. Gamble.
According to his guilty plea, the abuse went on from December 2024 to July 2025. The girl was 16 and 17 years old during that time.
Fish recorded her during video calls. He also recorded the two of them together during sexual acts, then kept those files on his cellphones.
In the spring and summer of 2025, Fish traveled to meet the girl and picked her up. He then drove to a nearby park, where the sexual acts happened in his car and were recorded. On at least five of those trips, he drove more than 100 miles to see her.
Fish also sent the explicit files to other people through his Snapchat account. The girl didn't know he was doing this, and she never gave him permission.
He was arrested on October 28, 2025, on state charges of sexual solicitation of a minor. Fish didn't know the person he'd been talking with online was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.
After the arrest, investigators took his cellphones. That's where they found the child sexual abuse material.
Federal sentences are often lower than the maximum. A federal judge will decide Fish's sentence after looking at the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors set by law.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood. The Department of Justice started the nationwide program in May 2006 to fight the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.
U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section lead the program. It brings federal, state and local agencies together to find and prosecute people who exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
If you'd like to learn more about the program or about internet safety for kids, visit justice.gov/psc. Safety resources are under the "Resources" tab on the left side of that page.
Hayes praised the FBI, the Talbot County State's Attorney's Office and the Talbot County Sheriff's Office for their work on the investigation. She also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn, who is prosecuting the case.
Source Reference: Article 11/24/2025
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