William Shenette, Child Porn Possession, Massachusetts 2017

BOSTON – In a disturbing case of child exploitation, 32-year-old William Shenette of Webster, Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

According to court records, on December 1, 2017, federal and state law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Shenette’s residence. During the search, Shenette’s tablet was seized and an on-scene forensic exam was conducted, which revealed two videos of child sexual abuse.

One of the videos depicted a prepubescent girl being anally penetrated by an adult male, while the other showed a female child being orally penetrated by an adult male. The investigation also revealed that Shenette had engaged in graphic and disturbing conversations over the Kik Messenger platform, where he expressed his desire to sexually abuse a child as young as 6 years old.

Shenette’s guilty plea was accepted in federal court in Worcester, where U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman has scheduled sentencing for November 1, 2018.

The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Dineen Jerrett is prosecuting the case.

The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Law enforcement officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Worcester Police Department, and Webster Police Department were involved in the investigation and prosecution of Shenette.

Related Federal Cases