A Harrisville man has admitted guilt in federal court to charges of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announced. Ryan Vallee, aged 31, entered his guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott has set Vallee’s sentencing for August 18, 2025.
As detailed in the charging documents and court statements, law enforcement executed a search on Vallee’s residence, vehicle, and electronic devices on June 6, 2024. This search revealed a cellphone containing four videos and 175 images of CSAM, along with an SD card containing eleven videos of CSAM. At the time of the search, Vallee was under federal supervision following earlier convictions in 2017 for offenses including interstate threats, computer fraud and abuse, aggravated identity theft, and cyberstalking.
The penalties outlined by the charging statute extend up to ten years of imprisonment. However, if the materials involve a prepubescent minor or a minor under twelve, the maximum penalty increases to twenty years. A supervised release term spans from a minimum of five years to life, alongside a potential fine of $250,000. Federal district court judges impose sentences based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
The investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security. Essential support came from the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office, the Harrisville Police Department, and the Belmont Police Department. Assistant U.S Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski is managing the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a national effort initiated in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative unites federal, state, and local resources to pursue offenders and aid victims. For more details on Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
