Marstons Mills man pleads guilty to child pornography charges
BOSTON — A Marstons Mills man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to charges of distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography.
Steven Carme, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age, according to a press release on the case.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for March 8, the release said. Carme was indicted in February 2019 and released by the court on conditions, it said.
According to court information on the case, between Feb. 2, 2017, and Feb. 5, 2019, Carme downloaded and distributed numerous image and video files depicting child pornography via peer-to-peer file sharing software. During a search of Carme’s residence, a laptop and an external hard drive were seized.
Forensic review of the external hard drive revealed approximately 7,881 images and 616 videos of child pornography, the release said. During an onsite interview, Carme admitted that the laptop and hard drive were his and that he downloaded, stored and distributed child pornography, the release said.
The charges of distribution and receipt of child pornography each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, the court information said. The charge of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Each charge also provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The announcement of the guilty plea in federal court was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Barnstable Police Chief Matthew Sonnabend. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum, of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The case, the release said, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative created in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Information on the initiative: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Marstons Mills man pleads guilty to child pornography charges
