Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A police officer from Seabrook, New Hampshire, was arrested in Boston on charges related to child pornography. John Giarrusso, 49, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, faces one count of receipt of child pornography. He was taken into custody this morning and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston at 2 p.m.
According to court documents, Giarrusso allegedly received video files depicting child sexual abuse through the messaging app Kik between October 16 and October 17, 2024. The victims shown in the videos are believed to be between five and eleven years old.
Last month, Giarrusso was charged by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts with possession of child pornography and distribution of graphic sexual images to a minor. He is currently out on bail for those state charges.
The public is encouraged to contact authorities with any information regarding this case by calling 617-748-3274 or emailing USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
If convicted on the federal charge, Giarrusso faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to twenty years in prison. He could also receive supervised release for at least five years up to life and a fine that may reach $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge according to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
"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 the Haverhill Police Department and Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case."
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation nationwide by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
Authorities remind that "the details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law."
