MD GOP Senate Candidate Charged With Making A False Report After Allegedly Claiming Adult Bookstore Trafficked Children

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Ryan Dark White, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Maryland under the name Jon McGreevey, has been arrested and charged with filing a false report after he allegedly told law enforcement an adult bookstore in Edgewood was forcing a young girl to perform sex acts on men, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office said.

The sheriff’s office now says the story was made up.

“It is shameful that a candidate for public office would make up such a story and use it to further his own political agenda,” said Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler.

In April, a tipster provided information to detectives with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office that a man and a young girl between 10-12 years old entered an adult bookstore in the 3000 block of Pulaski Highway and the child was forced to perform sex acts on male customers, police said.

Authorities said the source of the information was a 54-year-old employee at the store, White, also known as Dr. Jon McGreevey. White is a Baltimore resident.

Detectives with the Harford County Child Advocacy Center began investigating. After conducting interviews and gathering digital evidence, investigators “identified the adult male and juvenile female mentioned in the initial complaint,” police said.

No formal report was filed by any purported witnesses, according to the sheriff’s office.

On July 7, investigators spoke with White.

“The investigation revealed at no time were any sex acts performed or offered by any of the individuals in the establishment as reported by White,” police said.

Police arrested White on Friday and transported him to the Harford County Detention Center. He awaits an appearance before a District Court Commissioner, police said.

An email to an account listed on White’s campaign site, where he goes by the name Jon McGreevey, was not immediately returned.

White has appeared in a couple of videos with Andy Kuhl, a Republican candidate for Baltimore County Sheriff, to detail how he exposed the alleged abuse.

He claims he got the job at the bookstore as part of a law enforcement sting operation on the drug trade in Baltimore City.

He claimed that there were between 100-200 pounds of drugs in part of the building.

“They started exploiting children,” he claimed in a video on Kuhl’s campaign site dated June 9. “There’s a child trafficking ring being run through there as well.”