Ryan Decarolis, Child Exploitation, Massachusetts 2024

Fitchburg Man Sentenced to 38 Years for Child Exploitation

A Fitchburg man was sentenced to 38 years in prison for child exploitation offenses in federal court. Ryan Decarolis, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 38 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release.

The U.S. government had recommended a sentence of 85 years in prison, but Decarolis will spend the next 38 years behind bars. Decarolis has been in custody since his arrest on August 2, 2019. He pleaded guilty in September 2020 to five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

Decarolis used a social media account to communicate with an individual who was subsequently charged with production and distribution of child pornography. In January 2019, Decarolis distributed child pornography to an undercover officer, and in April 2019, he provided the officer with access to his Dropbox account, which contained hundreds of images and videos depicting child pornography.

Agents seized a tablet belonging to Decarolis in August 2019 that contained additional videos depicting child pornography. A second Dropbox account used by Decarolis was also discovered, which contained videos depicting the sexual exploitation of several children. Included within that material were numerous images and videos that Decarolis produced himself, some of which depicted him sexually assaulting at least four boys under the age of 12.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse. United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest F. Martineau made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section lead Project Safe Childhood. The initiative 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Related Federal Cases