⏱ 2 min read
Benjamin Shacar, a 39-year-old Pittsfield man, pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts. Between August 2020 and March 2021, Shacar received and possessed child sexual abuse material, which was discovered on a thumb drive and laptop during a search of his residence. Shacar admitted to viewing and downloading the material from the internet during an on-scene interview.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, Massachusetts State Police, and Pittsfield Police Department. Shacar was charged with 10 counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Shacar faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 20 years in prison for each count of receipt of child pornography, and up to 10 years in prison for the possession charge. He will be sentenced on June 22, 2026, by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project aims to marshal federal, state, and local resources to identify and prosecute individuals who exploit children.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil Desroches and Thomas Barnico of the Springfield Branch Office.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Sex Crimes
- Defendant: Massachusetts
- Location: MA
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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