Cecil County couple indicted on federal child sex abuse charges

A federal grand jury in Baltimore has formally charged two Cecil County residents with sex offenses involving minors. The indictments against Donald Samuel Haubrick and Breann Michele Lively were announced on Tuesday, bringing the pair before federal courts for trial.

Haubrick, 48, lives in Elkton, Maryland. He faces four counts: advertising, distributing, receiving, and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Lively, 26, resides in North East, Maryland. She is charged with producing and distributing CSAM. Both defendants remain in custody as the federal case proceeds.

The investigation determined that the two maintained a sexual relationship primarily through social media platforms between March 2024 and May 2026. According to the indictment, Lively produced and sent images of a minor victim to Haubrick at his request. Haubrick also shared CSAM with other online contacts. Federal prosecutors stated that these exchanges formed the core of the criminal conduct.

U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the charges alongside FBI Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmeyer and Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Michael A. Jackson also attended the announcement. Hayes credited the FBI, the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Maryland State Police for their work on the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn is leading the federal prosecution.

If found guilty, Haubrick faces a prison term of 15 to 30 years for advertising CSAM. He also faces five to 20 years for receiving or distributing the material, plus up to 20 years for possession. Lively faces 15 to 30 years for producing CSAM and five to 20 years for distributing it. A federal district judge will determine the final sentence after reviewing the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors. Actual sentences for federal crimes are often lower than the statutory maximums.

The case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative. Launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006, the program coordinates federal, state, and local resources to combat the sexual exploitation of children. The initiative aims to locate, arrest, and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims. Prosecutors said this indictment continues the national effort to address online exploitation.

The next scheduled step is the arraignments in federal court, where the defendants will enter their pleas. Legal representatives for Haubrick and Lively are expected to file motions regarding the pretrial proceedings. The court will set a trial date after resolving these initial filings.