Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Lowell resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to child sexual abuse material. Steven Estrada Ramirez, 23, admitted to receipt and possession of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris on November 24, 2025. Sentencing is scheduled for March 10, 2026. Estrada was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024.
Authorities identified Estrada as a participant in several groups on a mobile chat application where users shared and viewed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). At the time of his arrest, law enforcement found that he possessed a USB drive containing more than 700 video files with CSAM, some depicting children estimated to be between one and eight years old. Investigators also discovered that the home screen of his cell phone displayed an image of CSAM and the device itself contained thousands of related images and videos.
The charge of receiving child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to twenty years in prison, at least five years up to lifetime supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000. The charge for possession can result in up to twenty years in prison with similar terms for supervised release and fines. After serving any imposed sentence, Estrada will also face deportation proceedings. Sentencing decisions are made by a federal district court judge based on applicable guidelines and statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: "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." Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus from the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at protecting children from exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies as well as victim identification efforts nationwide. More information about this program can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
