A Harwich resident, Jonathan Fleischmann, 37, has been sentenced to a decade in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The sentencing took place in federal court in Boston, where U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs imposed the sentence of 10 years followed by five years of supervised release. Fleischmann was also ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution.
Fleischmann had pleaded guilty in July 2024 to one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley stated, "Despite his prior predatory behavior and the fact that he was already facing serious charges in state court – charges that involved ambushing and attempting to kidnap a young girl at gunpoint outside her home – this defendant continued to demonstrate a complete disregard for the safety and well-being of children by downloading hundreds of atrocious CSAM from the dark web."
Michael J. Krol, Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge, commented on the case: "Over and over, Fleischman committed deeply disturbing sex crimes aimed at children. For years, he has been a threat to the community but after today’s sentence, he will be off the streets for a decade."
Fleischmann's history includes being classified as a Level 3 sex offender due to previous convictions involving minors. In Barnstable District Court, he faced charges for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 in 2006 and other offenses related to CSAM.
In March 2023, law enforcement learned that Fleischmann was downloading suspected CSAM media files onto his cell phone at work. When confronted by law enforcement later that day at his residence, Fleischmann initially denied owning the phone but eventually retrieved it from beneath a bathroom sink. A search revealed numerous image and video files depicting CSAM.
Since his arrest in May 2023 for this case, Fleischmann has remained in federal custody. He is also serving a concurrent state sentence of 12 years related to an armed kidnapping incident.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Foley along with HSI SAC Krol with assistance from local authorities including the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office and Brewster Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood initiated by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation.
