Massachusetts Man Admits to Paying Minor for Skype Sex

A Massachusetts man has admitted to paying a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct over Skype, authorities announced today. William Gauvin, 43, of Andover, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography in federal court in Hartford.

According to court documents, between October 2016 and March 2017, Gauvin, using the name “Will Wiggins,” solicited a 17-year-old boy in Connecticut to engage in sexually explicit conduct over Skype. In exchange for the minor victim transmitting visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct to Gauvin, the defendant paid the minor victim more than $3,000 using PayPal. Gauvin also asked the minor victim to persuade his brother, who was 15, to engage in sexually explicit conduct in exchange for money.

Gauvin resided in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the time of the criminal conduct. He was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on November 1, 2017, and released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.

U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea scheduled sentencing for December 20, 2018. Gauvin faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Worcester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. government’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which aims to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation. The public can report cases of child exploitation by visiting www.cybertipline.com. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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