Thomas Stemmer Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

Thomas Stemmer, 60, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, stood before a federal judge in Springfield today and admitted to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including graphic images and videos of prepubescent minors under the age of 12. Stemmer pleaded guilty to one count each of receipt and possession of child pornography, crimes that carry a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison.

According to court documents, Stemmer downloaded the illicit material in 2015 using an encrypted network designed to conceal illegal activity. The material included depictions of children who had not yet reached the age of 12—some still in early childhood—victims frozen in time by predators who trade their suffering across dark corners of the internet. His actions triggered a multi-year federal investigation that culminated in a September 2019 indictment by a federal grand jury.

U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni set sentencing for May 15, 2023. Stemmer now faces a mandatory minimum of five years behind bars for the receipt charge, with a maximum of 20 years. The possession charge, due to the extreme youth of the victims depicted, also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, along with at least five years of supervised release and fines up to $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system.

“These crimes leave lasting scars on the most vulnerable among us,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We will continue to pursue those who consume and circulate this vile material with every tool at our disposal.” Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that every download re-victimizes the children shown.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of the Springfield Branch Office. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the explosion of child sexual exploitation online. The program coordinates federal, state, and local efforts to dismantle networks of abusers and prioritize the rescue of child victims.

Stemmer’s case is a grim reminder that predators often operate in silence, masked by encryption and anonymity. But federal investigators are closing in, one conviction at a time. As the sentencing date approaches, the focus remains on accountability—and on the unnamed children whose lives were stolen long before Stemmer ever clicked “download.”