BOSTON – A Worcester woman was sentenced to one year of probation and a fine of $1,000 for lying to federal agents investigating federal child exploitation offenses.
Donna Belanger, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman for making materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or representations to federal agents.
Belanger pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2015. The case began when federal agents interviewed her in February 2014 in connection with the arrest of her son, Brian Belanger, on federal charges that he had enticed a minor to produce child pornography through online communications.
During the interview, Belanger was asked about her knowledge of her son’s prior sexual assaults against children and whether her son had been allowed unsupervised contact with the children attending her in-home day care center.
Belanger initially told agents that the day care business had closed in June 2012 after allegations arose that her son had sexually assaulted a child attending the day care. However, she failed to disclose that her son had sexually assaulted a six-year-old neighbor in 2005, and that she was aware of the incident.
Further investigation revealed that Belanger had spoken with the mother of the six-year-old child and agreed not to report the incident to police if she secured mental health counseling for her son. Belanger also admitted that she had allowed the children in her care to play video games with her son in his bedroom without supervision.
Belanger’s son, Brian Belanger, has recently pleaded guilty to five counts of producing child pornography in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.
Related Federal Cases
- Stephen Mantha, Child Exploitation, Massachusetts 2023 · Tennessee
- Brian Hohman, Child Sexual Exploitation, Massachusetts 2024 · Washington
- Patrick Plummer, Child Exploitation, Massachusetts 2020 · New York
- Kostas Fekkas, Child Exploitation, California 2023 · Arkansas
- Cammron Robinson, Child Sex Exploitation, New York 2017 · Ohio
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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