Avon Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offense

A 36-year-old Avon man has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography, a crime that could land him in prison for up to 20 years.

Michael Ferro waived his right to an indictment and pleaded guilty in federal court in New Haven to distributing child pornography on August 18, 2021. He was arrested on September 29, 2021, and has been in custody since.

According to court documents, Ferro used the Kik social media application to communicate with an undercover FBI agent who was posing as a father of a 12-year-old girl. Ferro sent the agent a photo of a child’s genitals and expressed an interest in meeting the girl for sexual activity.

Ferro’s cell phone was seized by investigators after they confirmed his identity. He was arrested on a criminal complaint and has been held without bond since his arrest.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer scheduled sentencing for May 24, 2022. Ferro faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Avon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which aims to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation.

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