Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A former police officer from Seabrook, New Hampshire, has been indicted on charges related to the receipt of child sexual abuse material. John Giarrusso, 49, of Haverhill, was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography. He was arrested in August 2025 and is expected to be arraigned in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to charging documents, Giarrusso allegedly received video files depicting child sexual abuse material on Kik between October 16 and October 17, 2024. The videos reportedly showed children estimated to be between five and eleven years old.
If convicted, Giarrusso faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to twenty years in prison. He would also face at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, as well as a fine that could reach $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on 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."
The investigation falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to prosecute offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Authorities remind the public that "the details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
