Criminals are being held accountable in our community.
A Rochester man has admitted to possessing images of child exploitation material. Michael A Clemence, 36, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of child pornography, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2020, the Homeland Security Investigations New Hampshire office received information that on April 28, 2019, an individual originating from an IP address at a Rochester residence had accessed a website known for sharing child sexual abuse and exploitation material. Clemence was identified as the subscriber of the target IP address.
On May 26, 2021, agents conducted a consensual interview with Clemence. They advised him they were investigating internet activity associated with child exploitation material and that some of the activity occurred in April 2019 from the IP address associated with his previous address. Clemence made no admissions but volunteered that his wife had previously found disturbing material on their home computer and that they subsequently wiped the computer’s hard drive and gave the computer away. Clemence’s wife later confirmed that in May 2019, she discovered thousands of images of what appeared to be child exploitation material on Clemence’s laptop computer.
After further investigation, a search warrant was executed at Clemence’s residence, which resulted in the seizure of numerous electronic devices. Forensic examination of the devices confirmed the presence of child exploitation material. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified 1,351 images as depicting known minor victims.
Clemence is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21, 2022. “Protecting vulnerable young people from exploitation is among the most significant duties of law enforcement,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “Those who possess or distribute sexually explicit images of children are further exploiting the innocent youths who were abused during the creation of these images. To protect young children from exploitation, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who commit crimes related to child pornography.”
This matter was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Rochester Police Department and Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland. In February 2006, Project Safe Childhood was introduced, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.
Defendant: Michael A Clemence
Criminal Charges: Possession of child pornography
City and State: Rochester, New Hampshire
Exact Date: February 2020 (investigation began), April 28, 2019 (crime date), May 26, 2021 (interview), March 21, 2022 (sentencing)
Sentence or Outcome: Clemence pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21, 2022.
Key Facts
- State: New Hampshire
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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