A Holyoke resident, Justin Ouimette, has been charged with possession of child sexual abuse material. The 34-year-old, who is a registered sex offender, will appear in federal court in Springfield at a later date.
Ouimette was previously convicted in October 2022 for possession of child pornography in Massachusetts Superior Court. According to the charging documents, over 200 files allegedly depicting child sexual abuse material were found on Ouimette's electronic devices during a search in July 2024. An additional 200 files were reportedly discovered on his Dropbox account.
Following these discoveries, Ouimette received a probation violation on July 25, 2024, and was sentenced to one year of incarceration, which he is currently serving.
The charge against Ouimette carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and up to twenty years in prison. It also includes five years to life of supervised release and a possible fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto from the Major Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project aims to locate and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.
It should be noted that the details within the charging documents are allegations at this stage. The defendant remains presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
