A federal grand jury in New Haven indicted Adam Wolfe, 27, of Stamford on April 9 for alleged child exploitation and destruction of evidence offenses, according to a statement from United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut David X. Sullivan and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol.
The case concerns the safety of children and efforts by law enforcement to address child exploitation crimes. The indictment follows an investigation that began in November 2023 when Homeland Security Investigations and Ridgefield Police started looking into Wolfe for possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, investigators interviewed Wolfe at his former residence in Ridgefield on November 22, 2023. He gave consent for a search of his iPhone and laptop. Forensic analysis found thousands of images classified as child sexual abuse material recovered from the laptop's recycle bin. Authorities also said that during his interview with law enforcement, Wolfe deleted a TOR browser from his iPhone—a tool often used to access illegal content on the dark web.
Wolfe was arrested on September 30, 2024, following a federal criminal complaint. The indictment charges him with receipt of child pornography (carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of five years), possession of child pornography (up to twenty years), and destruction or alteration of records (also up to twenty years). He has been released on $50,000 bond pending arraignment.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan said: "An indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon through Project Safe Childhood.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut prosecutes federal crimes and handles civil cases within the district according to its official website. The office employs about sixty-eight assistant attorneys and fifty-seven support staff members according to its official website, serving all residents across Connecticut according to its official website. It operates under the Department of Justice according to its official website with locations in New Haven, Hartford, and Bridgeport; it was established in 1789 as one of the oldest prosecutorial offices according to its official website. Its alumni include judges at both state and federal levels as well as elected officials according to its official website.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood or reporting suspected cases involving children’s safety online visit www.justice.gov/psc or www.cybertipline.com.
