BOSTON — A Worcester man was indicted July 25 by a federal grand jury in Worcester for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material after an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England.
Charlton Pasley, 48, was charged with receipt and possession of child pornography. HSI special agents arrested him, and he was charged by complaint July 1. Pasley will be arraigned in federal court in Worcester at a later date.
According to the charging documents, HSI special agents executed a search at Pasley’s home in June. Pasley was in possession of numerous electronic devices that allegedly contained child sexual abuse material. Pasley allegedly admitted to HSI special agents that he used numerous social medial platforms to view and download child sexual abuse material.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Each charge carries at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol, acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Interim Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier made the announcement. The investigation was led by HSI New England’s Springfield Resident Agent in Charge office and the Worcester Police Department.
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.
HSI is a global leader in the fight against child exploitation. Last year, HSI special agents dedicated 1.2 million case hours toward investigating child exploitation. This heinous crime harms the most vulnerable in our society: our kids. As technology evolves and more people have access to the internet, children are at a greater risk than ever. HSI’s special agents and analysts around the world are dedicated to countering this threat.
Report suspected child exploitation to the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP or through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's website.