Pittsfield Man Charged with Child Pornography Offenses

A federal grand jury in Springfield indicted Benjamin Shacar, 34, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on 11 counts of child pornography charges. Shacar was charged by criminal complaint in March 2021.

According to charging documents, between August 2020 and March 2021, Shacar allegedly received and possessed child pornography. Law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Shacar’s residence and uncovered a thumb drive containing multiple files depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During an on-scene interview, Shacar allegedly admitted that he viewed and downloaded child pornography from the internet.

The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Each charge also provides for a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Pittsfield Police Chief Michael J. Wynn made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Mendell’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Benjamin Shacar, 34, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was indicted on 11 counts, including 10 counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison for the receipt charge and up to 10 years in prison for the possession charge. Each charge also provides for a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Pittsfield Police Department.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Sex Crimes

Mohammad Ali Hemmat, Enticing Minor to Engage in Sex, Florida 2023

Apr 22, 2024

Sex Crimes

Paulo Morales, Abusive Sexual Contact, Florida 2011

Jun 1, 2012

Sex Crimes

Jeremy Soutar, Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, New York 2026

May 7, 2026

Sex Crimes

Eric Britton, Sex Abuse of Minor, Louisiana 2023

Jan 26, 2015