A Maryland elementary school teacher will remain in jail on charges that he sexually abused a 9-year-old girl after his attorney waived a bond hearing and investigators found photos and videos of other children being abused at his home.
Mark Cobb, 44, is accused of engaging in a year-old online relationship with the student, WTTG reported. Her allegedly requested and received explicit photographs and reportedly admitted the details during questioning earlier this week.
He is charged with sexual abuse of a minor, nine counts of possession of child pornography, and child pornography promoting – distribution with intent to possess.
State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said the situation is “beyond what anyone could imagine” and praised the 9-year-old girl for her bravery.
“I’m so proud that she spoke up,” Braveboy said. “But this is not unlike other cases involving young victims. Sometimes they don’t understand what’s happening to them. They’re confused. These are individuals who are in positions of trust. So she had a right to trust her teacher.”
“I can’t imagine how sick a person has to be to have this type of conversation, a sexually explicit conversation with a 9-year-old. It’s outrageous. But our job is to get justice, and that’s what we’re going to do,” she added.
Court documents say the communications with the girl took place between June 2023 and August 2024 and ended when the girl told her mother about sending photos to the school teacher, WRC said.
The documents say investigators found more than 100 computer files depicting child sexual abuse material on a hard drive during a search of Cobb’s home. They are working to identify the children involved.
Cobb was teaching at Cooper Lane Elementary School in Prince George’s County at the time of his arrest. School principal Micah Pate sent a letter home to parents saying the news was “unsettling” and encouraging parents “to be vigilant about their children’s digital activities and online safety.” He did not say if Cobb was still employed at the school.
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[Featured image: Mark Cobb/Prince George’s County Police Department]
