BOSTON - A Dennis Port man was indicted today in federal court in Boston on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography.
Sean Gleason, 35, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. An arraignment date has not yet been scheduled. On Sept. 10, 2019, Gleason was arrested and charged by criminal complaint and has been in custody since.
Following an investigation into the use of a messaging application in the exchange of child pornography, a federal search warrant was executed at a residence in Dennis Port. A preliminary forensic review of Gleason’s cell phone revealed hundreds of images of child pornography.
The charges of receipt and possession of child pornography each carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, and the charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. Both charges provide for a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Jason A. Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys