East Boston Man Guilty of Distributing Child Pornography

BOSTON – In a move that’s a stark reminder of the dark underbelly of the internet, Cristopher Vladimir Pineda Martinez, 25, of East Boston, pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Pineda’s guilty plea was met with a stern warning from U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns, who scheduled sentencing for August 14, 2024. The defendant has been behind bars since his arrest in January 2023.

According to investigators, Pineda was an active member of several private online group chats involved in the large-scale distribution of CSAM on an online chat platform. On December 12, 2022, he distributed eight videos depicting CSAM in three online chat groups. A search of his personal cell phone uncovered an additional 54 videos of CSAM, some involving children as young as six years old.

The charges against Pineda carry severe penalties. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, made the announcement today. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, provided valuable assistance in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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