LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — A Lusby man has been charged with two counts of distributing obscene material following an investigation into the alleged unauthorized sharing of explicit photographs, which were reportedly sent to a victim’s girlfriend and posted at her workplace, according to charging documents. Dakota McKain Donnells, 26, of Lusby, received a criminal summons on Oct. 7, 2025, in connection with an August harassment complaint.
The charges stem from an incident on Aug. 29, 2025, when St. Mary’s County sheriff’s deputies responded to a harassment complaint around 7:50 p.m. According to court records, the victim reported that he had previously sent explicit photographs to a woman with whom he was involved. The victim stated Donnells, who was dating that woman, allegedly gained access to the photographs and sent them to the victim’s girlfriend without consent.
According to charging documents, the victim learned of the alleged distribution when his girlfriend received the photos. Investigators said the situation escalated when the victim’s girlfriend received a video allegedly showing Donnells had printed the explicit photograph and placed it on the door of the victim’s workplace.
Deputies reviewed the video evidence described in the court filings and reportedly observed an explicit photograph printed on paper and affixed to a business entrance, where members of the public walking by could have viewed it. The public display of the image represented an escalation from digital sharing to physical posting in a public location, according to investigators.
Court records state that investigators interviewed a witness who confirmed the phone number used to contact the victim’s girlfriend was linked to Donnells. The witness also said that earlier in the week, Donnells had taken her phone, and she believed he may have accessed her messages to obtain the photographs.
Donnells faces two counts of publishing and distributing obscene material under Maryland criminal law. Each misdemeanor count carries a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment and a $1,000 fine if convicted. The dual charges reportedly correspond to both the alleged electronic distribution and the posting of the printed photograph.
Deputies issued Donnells a criminal summons rather than making a custodial arrest. Court records indicate Donnells was found eligible for public defender representation. A preliminary inquiry is scheduled for Dec. 5, 2025, at St. Mary’s County District Court.
The case is being treated as a form of image-based sexual abuse, sometimes referred to as revenge porn, in which intimate images are shared without consent as a means of harassment or humiliation. Maryland law criminalizes the publication and distribution of obscene or private sexual material regardless of how it was obtained.
All proceedings will take place in St. Mary’s County District Court in Leonardtown. The State’s Attorney’s Office for St. Mary’s County is prosecuting the charges.
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That’s no man, that’s a coward. She was right to leave him.
Wait, what?!?
ha ha Lost me too !