Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Leominster resident, Brian Cook, 36, has been arrested and charged with possession of child sexual abuse material after a federal search warrant was executed at his home. Cook was taken into custody on Tuesday and remains detained pending a court hearing scheduled for 2:30 p.m. today in Worcester federal court.
According to the charging document, law enforcement officials conducted an on-site review of Cook’s computer and hard drives during the search. They reportedly found several videos depicting child sexual abuse material. Authorities seized multiple electronic devices, including laptops and various storage media, for further forensic examination.
The public is encouraged to contact authorities with any questions or information related to this case by calling 617-748-3274.
Possession of child pornography carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years and up to lifetime supervised release. Fines can reach $250,000. Sentencing decisions are made by a federal district court judge according to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
“United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance provided the Leominster and Westford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.”
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation through coordination among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Authorities emphasized that all details contained in the charging document are allegations and that Cook is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
