Derry Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Possession

Derry, New Hampshire, resident David Morel, Jr., 31, admitted in federal court to possessing child pornography, pleading guilty on December 19, 2016, in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire. The confession marks the end of a years-long investigation into digital child exploitation tied directly to Morel’s home.

Investigators first identified suspicious online activity linked to Morel’s residence in February 2014. The New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force and Derry Police Department traced illicit images of minors to the defendant’s internet connection. What began as a digital footprint soon unraveled into concrete evidence of criminal possession.

In April 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Morel’s computer. The forensic sweep uncovered numerous videos showing young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct—graphic material that formed the core of the federal indictment. The evidence left little room for dispute.

Morel now awaits sentencing in March 2016. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, a mandatory minimum of 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Federal prosecutors are pushing for the full weight of the law to fall on him, emphasizing the lasting harm caused by such crimes.

The case was jointly investigated by the Derry Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations Manchester, and the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Helen Fitzgibbon and Shane Kelbley are handling the prosecution, underscoring the federal-state collaboration essential to cracking down on online predators.

This conviction falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in February 2006. The program coordinates federal, state, and local efforts to identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children online. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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