Brian Ashley, Child Pornography, Massachusetts 2017

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Billerica Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Offenses

Brian Ashley, a 38-year-old man from Billerica, Massachusetts, was sentenced to six years in prison and six years of supervised release for possessing and distributing child pornography.

On March 9, 2017, Ashley pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and one count of possession of child pornography in federal court in Boston.

According to court documents, in February 2016, federal agents in Montana assumed the identity of an individual using an instant messaging app to send and receive child pornography to other users. The agents identified Ashley as one of the individuals using the app to trade child pornography.

Ashley, using a screenname that hid his identity, distributed several images and videos of child pornography to the undercover agents, who subsequently traced his illicit online activity to his home and work addresses in Massachusetts.

Agents executed a search warrant at Ashley’s Billerica home, where they seized his cell phone. A forensic review of the cell phone revealed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography and evidence that he had exchanged the material with other users of the instant messaging app.

Ashley was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $15,000 to two of the victims identified in his child pornography collection. He will also be required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordi de Llano and Anne Paruti of Weinreb’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.