An Attleboro resident, Eric Brault, 31, has admitted guilt in a federal court in Boston for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The plea was entered on May 9, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris has scheduled his sentencing for August 7, 2025. Brault had been charged by criminal complaint in December 2024.
Brault was identified during an extensive investigation into an encrypted online chat platform used for CSAM trafficking. Authorities discovered he was active in at least three groups where such material was shared. A search of his home led to the discovery of a Samsung Galaxy phone hidden in a plastic chest in his bedroom. The device's phone number corresponded with the account registered on the platform. Further examination revealed Brault's membership in over 50 CSAM-related chat groups and an album containing more than 200 video files depicting CSAM, including victims as young as three to four years old.
Previously, in 2012, Brault had been convicted of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old and sentenced to probation for 18 months by Attleboro District Court.
For this offense, Brault could face a prison sentence ranging from ten to twenty years, supervised release from five years up to life, and fines up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by federal guidelines and statutes.
The announcement of Brault's guilty plea was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley alongside Michael J. Krol from Homeland Security Investigations New England division. Assistance came from the Attleboro Police Department with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood initiated by the Department of Justice to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse since May 2006.
