Franklin Sex Offender Zachary Cote Sentenced for Contempt of Court

CONCORD – In a stunning turn of events, former Franklin man Zachary Cote, 26, has been sentenced to an additional 18 months in federal prison for contempt. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott for violating court orders while under supervision following his conviction for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Cote’s original sentence included a 60-month term for the CSAM charge, which he received on January 24, 2022. The contempt sentence will be served consecutively to this term. According to U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young, Cote’s actions demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the law and his conditions of release.

“The defendant flagrantly violated his conditions of release after his sentencing,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “While the Court’s conditions of bail did not deter the defendant’s criminal conduct, the additional 18 months in prison will.”

Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, echoed these sentiments. “The fact that this sex offender continued to engage in criminal conduct while waiting to head to prison is deeply concerning,” she said. “It is our hope that with today’s sentence, Zachary Cote learns his lesson.”

Cote pled guilty to possession of CSAM on September 20, 2021. He was released under certain conditions following an arrest in November 2020, which included a prohibition against accessing the internet or possessing computers. His release was short-lived, however, as federal authorities were alerted to suspicious activity on Snapchat linked back to his residence by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

The FBI led the investigation into Cote’s online activities, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland prosecuting the case. The sentence handed down today is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse launched by the Department of Justice in 2006.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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