New Salem Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

In a shocking turn of events, Nicholas Conkey, a 35-year-old resident of New Salem, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in federal court in Springfield.

The charges against Conkey stem from an incident that took place on January 18, 2019, when authorities discovered 42 images and one video of child pornography on his phone. These disturbing images depicted prepubescent children engaged in sex acts or the lascivious display of their genitalia.

Conkey also admitted to possessing child pornography images in his online email account. The charges against him are serious, with a potential sentence of at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

The case against Conkey was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Nicholas Conkey’s guilty plea marks a significant victory for law enforcement and advocates working to protect vulnerable children from exploitation. As the nation grapples with the complexities of online child exploitation, cases like Conkey’s serve as a reminder of the need for continued vigilance and cooperation.

The sentencing hearing for Nicholas Conkey is scheduled to take place on March 7, 2022. In the meantime, the community remains vigilant, working to prevent further incidents of child exploitation and support those affected by these heinous crimes.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Sex Crimes

Anthony Layton Moody, Child Pornography Distribution, Tennessee 2020

Aug 17, 2020

Sex Crimes

Timothy Justin George, Distributing Child Pornography, Virginia 2016

Feb 1, 2017

Sex Crimes

Jeremiah Robert Wiberg, Failing to Register as Sex Offender, Minnesota 2025

Jun 25, 2025

Sex Crimes

Frank Russell McCoy, Child Pornography, Minnesota 2016

Mar 25, 2016