Joshua S. Levy, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
A Brookline, Massachusetts man was taken into custody and charged with producing child pornography. Scott Cunha, 24, is accused of persuading a 15-year-old to create and send him explicit content. He was apprehended at his residence in Brookline and is scheduled for an initial court appearance in Boston today.
The complaint states that since at least 2022, Cunha used Snapchat to communicate with minors aged between 10 and 16 from various states including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri. He allegedly encouraged them to send nude images and videos by offering money or promising financial rewards. It is further alleged that he met with at least one minor victim.
Authorities urge anyone who believes they may be affected by this case to contact (617) 748-3274.
If convicted of producing child pornography, Cunha faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and could be sentenced to life imprisonment. The penalties also include supervised release for at least five years and fines up to $250,000. Sentencing will follow the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines as determined by a federal district court judge.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, announced the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings and Elizabeth Riley from the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are handling the prosecution.
It is important to note that all details in the charging documents are allegations at this stage; Cunha remains innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
