Quebec Man Sentenced in VT Child Porn Case

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Anthony Hamel, 25, of Cowansville, Quebec, is going to federal prison for two years. Border agents at the Morses Line Port of Entry in Vermont caught him red-handed on May 9, 2025, with a digital library of child pornography on his phone. He’d claimed he was meeting an 18-year-old; instead, he was hauling depravity.

A routine secondary inspection quickly exposed the truth. A forensic search of Hamel’s phone turned up 268 sickening videos and 33 images of child sexual abuse. The content wasn’t just disturbing – court records reveal images of very young children, some appearing to be toddlers and infants, subjected to horrific acts. Some depictions showed bondage and sadistic abuse.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) immediately contacted Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). HSI agents obtained a federal warrant and verified the horrific material. Hamel confessed. On March 17, 2026, U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier sentenced him to 24 months behind bars, followed by five years of supervised release.

Federal prosecutors are touting the bust as a win for border security, highlighting how vigilant officers and thorough HSI investigations can intercept this vile material and protect vulnerable children. It’s a stark reminder that the trafficking of child pornography continues, and agencies are working to dismantle it.