The former Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts, Jhovanny Martes-Rosario, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to child pornography. On December 6, 2024, Martes-Rosario admitted guilt to one count each of transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The sentencing is scheduled for March 10, 2025, by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV.
Martes-Rosario was indicted in April 2023 after law enforcement identified him as the user of Yahoo and Apple accounts containing child pornography. A search at his residence led to the seizure of an iPad with incriminating files. He confessed to owning the email addresses used for storing the material and acknowledged years of searching for and downloading such content.
The transportation charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, with a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison. It also includes supervised release ranging from five years to life and a fine up to $250,000. The possession charge could result in up to 20 years in prison, similar terms for supervised release, and a comparable fine.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy announced the plea alongside Jodi Cohen from the FBI's Boston Division and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble from the Massachusetts State Police. The Essex County District Attorney’s Office provided assistance in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus and Meghan C. Cleary are handling prosecution duties.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation nationwide.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.