State's Attorney's Office for Charles County

05/13/2026

Last week, Assistant State’s Attorney Charmayne Clark and Victim Witness Liaison Jenny Munoz had the pleasure of speaking with students at Career Day for Theodore G. Davis Middle School.

05/11/2026

Congratulations to our newest Assistant State's Attorney, Samantha D. Gonzalez.

05/08/2026

Wishing the students of Henry E. Lackey High School a fun, unforgettable, and safe prom celebration tomorrow! Earlier this week, members of the SAO stopped by to deliver our Drive Sober banner as a reminder to celebrate responsibly, look out for one another, and make safe choices on this special night.

05/08/2026

This week, we're celebrating National Pet Week and the four-legged companions who bring joy and plenty of personality outside of the courtroom. We invite you to meet some of our fur-friends!

Fun fact: one of these pets (hint: a rescue beagle) decided to take an unexpected adventure the night of an Assistant State's Attorney's first jury trial. The adventure sent her through the woods of Charles County in her suit, tights, and heels in search of him. The story has a happy ending, and he was found safe!

From loyal companions to the occasional escape artist, pets keep life interesting. We hope these photos bring a smile as you head into the weekend.

05/07/2026

Yesterday, State’s Attorney Tony Covington and Chief Investigator Ted Jones had the pleasure of meeting Ethan Atanga, an eighth grade Charles County honors student and winner of the 48th Annual Charles County Spelling Bee.

They presented him with a citation of recognition for his academic excellence, discipline, preparation, and success.

05/04/2026

After more than 15 years of dedicated service, the SAO gathered this past Friday to extend our heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to our Office Administrator, Anna Beckett, as she begins a new chapter.

Thank you, Anna, for being a source of knowledge, consistency, and support for so many over the years and for your contributions, which have helped shape the office. We wish you the best of luck on your new endeavor!

05/01/2026

Wishing the students of McDonough High School a joyful, memorable, and safe prom celebration tomorrow. Earlier this week, members of the SAO stopped by to deliver our Drive Sober banner as a reminder to celebrate responsibly and make safe choices on this special night.

05/01/2026

Last Friday, members of the SAO joined fellow members of the legal community in observing Law Day 2026 at a celebration hosted by the Charles County Bar Association.

Law Day honors the importance of the rule of law while encouraging a deeper understanding of our legal system.

This year's guest speaker, Deputy State's Attorney Karen Piper Mitchell, reflected on the role the rule of law plays in shaping and preserving the American dream.

04/30/2026

State v. Dennis Demoine Smith, C-08-CR-25-000226

On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Donine Carrington Martin sentenced Dennis Demoine Smith, 66, of Nanjemoy, to 118 years in prison for 28 counts of Use of a Computer to Depict Minors in a Sexual Act and 237 counts of Possession of Child Po*******hy.

On October 22, 2025, a Charles County jury, after a three-day trial, convicted Smith of the aforementioned charges.

Between January and April of 2023, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office received 14 cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The reports indicated that files containing child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to the Verizon Cloud linked to Smith’s phone number.

Following an investigation into the reported files, detectives obtained and executed a search and seizure warrant for Smith and his residence. During the search, several electronic devices were recovered. A forensic examination of those devices revealed numerous files containing child sexual abuse material depicting children under the age of 16.

On November 19, 2024, Smith was apprehended. However, during the course of the investigation, detectives discovered additional files containing child pornographic material, including 28 screen recordings that were created by Smith himself.

At an earlier sentencing hearing for Smith, Assistant State’s Attorney Edward Stickles requested a 120-year sentence, noting that most of the videos involved prepubescent children being sexually assaulted by adults. He told the judge, “These cases are not victimless crimes. The victimization of these children does not end. It continues each time someone downloads or uses these videos. These children suffer lifelong consequences because the videos are on the internet and will never go away.” He continued that the victims “have to live with the pain and trauma. Some of these kids may never recover.”

At Tuesday’s sentencing, the Honorable Judge Carrington told the defendant that these types of crimes “ensures that the victimization doesn’t end but happens again and again and again. Victims suffer ongoing harm knowing that strangers continue to view their bodies. The harm is not contained to a single moment of time.” She continued that distributors and viewers are “enablers of a system that perpetuate harm” and stated that the “online exploitation of children will be met with punishment.”

State v. Dennis Demoine Smith, C-08-CR-25-000226 LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Donine Carrington Martin sentenced Dennis Demoine Smith, 66, of Nanjemoy, to 118 years in prison for 28...

04/28/2026

On Friday, April 24, 2026, U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes presented awards at the 2026 Project Safe Childhood Awards and Conference, recognizing dedicated service and commitment to protecting children.

Assistant State's Attorney Tiffany L. Campbell and Detective Singh from the Charles County Sheriff's Office were among those honored for their work on one of the highlighted cases.

Deputy State's Attorney Karen Piper Mitchell was also in attendance.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative dedicated to combating child exploitation. Since its launch in May 2006, the program has united federal, state, and local partners to strengthen investigations, support victims, and hold offenders accountable. Through coordinated law enforcement efforts, specialized training, community partnerships, and public awareness, Project Safe Childhood works to reduce the sexual exploitation of children, particularly in online spaces.

04/27/2026

Members of the SAO (and some of our fur friends) had the pleasure of participating in the Center for Abused Persons (CAP) 6th Annual 5k Run & Walk in support of victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence in our communities.

Thank you, CAP, for the work you do to raise awareness and combat violence.