Charles Benoit, Possessing Child Pornography, Massachusetts 2017

A Palmer man has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography, according to a federal court in Springfield.

Charles Benoit, 65, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni on February 14, 2017.

Benoit used Limewire, an online peer-to-peer file sharing program, to search for and download child pornography between 2009 and 2010. He used search terms such as ‘preteen hard core’ and ‘PTHC’.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Alex Grant of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Office.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. In 2006, the federal government created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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