Eduardo Bueno, Child Pornography Distribution and Possession, Massachusetts 2016 · Virginia
Beau Christopher Benson, Child Pornography Charges, Massachusetts 2024 · Virginia
Estes Carter Thompson III, Child Exploitation, Massachusetts 2023 · Virginia
Jacob S. Good, Possession of Child Pornography, New Jersey 2018 · Washington
Estes Carter Thompson III, Child Exploitation, Massachusetts 2023 · Virginia

Table of Contents

Toggle

Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Participating in International Child Pornography Ring
- - Key Facts

Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Participating in International Child Pornography Ring

A 24-year-old man from Wellesley, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

Joseph Tierney, a resident of Wellesley, Massachusetts, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips on no date provided in Los Angeles. Tierney pleaded guilty in August 2011 to one count of conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

The investigation into the Lost Boy bulletin board, a online forum dedicated to men who have a sexual interest in young boys, led to the identification of 16 named defendants who were charged in the United States and arrested for their roles in the bulletin board. 15 defendants have pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial, and one defendant passed away.

The investigation, which was led by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, involved a coalition of international law enforcement agencies, including European law enforcement, the Brazilian Federal Police, and other agencies. The investigation identified child molestation suspects in South America, Europe, and New Zealand, and led to the identification of dozens of child victims located in Norway, Romania, Brazil, and other nations.

Tierney was required to post child pornography to join the Lost Boy organization, and once accepted, members were required to continue posting child pornography to remain in good standing and to avoid removal from the board. Members also advised each other on techniques to evade detection by law enforcement, which included using screen names to mask identities and encrypting computer data.

The investigation into the Lost Boy bulletin board resulted in the shutdown of the online forum approximately three years prior to Tierney’s sentencing.