An Ashland man, Brent Vreeland, was arrested and charged with the transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The arrest took place following an investigation that stemmed from events in October 2024 when Vreeland, 36, arrived at Boston's Logan Airport from Reykjavik, Iceland and was flagged for secondary screening.
Upon examination of Vreeland's cell phone, authorities allegedly discovered images and videos depicting CSAM within his Telegram Messenger app. A forensic analysis reportedly revealed approximately 30 media files depicting CSAM in direct messages to other unknown Telegram users. Moreover, Vreeland is accused of having received and distributed three videos depicting child abuse in October 2021, involving minors aged between four and 10 years. In one alleged exchange, Vreeland requested another user to trade CSAM files for "the youngest [they] hve [sic]."
The charges of transportation of child pornography may lead to a sentence of five to 20 years in prison, along with a five-year to lifetime period of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, guided by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutory requirements.
"United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Patrol, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case."
The case details from the charging documents remain allegations at this stage. Vreeland is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
