After investigation, feds take over case against Ipswich man
Feb. 19—IPSWICH — A man first charged last year with sending explicit images of sexual abuse of children to an undercover police officer is now facing federal charges of possessing and distributing child pornography.
Julien Toulotte, 23, who has addresses on Labor-in-Vain Road in Ipswich and on Arlington Street in Boston's Back Bay, was taken into custody Friday morning by federal agents.
A few hours later, he made an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein, who ordered that Toulotte be held without bail pending a detention and probable cause hearing on Feb. 23.
Toulotte was first arrested nearly a year ago, in March 2021, following an investigation that started when Ipswich police received a call from a woman who had met Toulotte on the dating app Tinder. He had been free on $20,000 cash bail since shortly after his arrest in the earlier case.
Court papers say the federal case will now replace the earlier pending case in Ipswich District Court.
The woman who first went to police last year told them she became alarmed when Toulotte sent her an image of a young girl and then told her to pretend to be a child when they met.
Investigators used an undercover officer to pose as a teenage girl on social media; eventually Toulotte began communicating with that undercover officer, sending images of child pornography and of his own body, and discussing his interest in the "girl" traveling to Ipswich to meet him one weekend.
Police also heard back from the original woman, saying that Toulotte had attempted to re-connect with her; an undercover officer also began posing as the first woman.
Throughout his interactions, Toulotte allegedly made references to children he claimed he was with on a regular basis, according to police reports and an affidavit by an FBI agent filed in support of an arrest warrant earlier this week.
However, to date they have been unable to identify any of the children he described.
In a press release announcing the arrest on Friday, the U.S. Attorney took the unusual step of including a phone number for people to call with information, questions or concerns.
"Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274," the release said.
Police seized a number of electronic devices at the time of Toulotte's initial arrest last year; last fall, after obtaining a second warrant that would allow them to access or attempt to access the contents of those devices, investigators reported finding hundreds of images and short videos of children being sexually abused, ranging in age from infants to pre-teens.
Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis
