A West Bridgewater man, Juan Levano, 24, has pleaded guilty to charges related to child pornography. The plea was entered in Boston and involves one count of receipt and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns has set the sentencing for March 12, 2025.
The investigation traced Levano's involvement to an internet-based communications application used for trafficking child pornography. Authorities identified him as a user who participated in groups disseminating such material.
Levano rented a room at a residence registered as a residential daycare. Both he and the daycare owner denied any employment or contact with children attending the facility. However, during a search of the premises, electronic devices belonging to Levano were confiscated.
Levano admitted membership in several groups on the chat application where he obtained child pornography. His phone contained evidence of participation in active groups sharing explicit content involving minors from infancy to 13 years old. Over 100 files suspected to be child pornography were found stored on his device.
For receiving child pornography, Levano faces a minimum sentence of five years up to 20 years in prison, with supervised release ranging from five years to life and fines up to $250,000. Possession charges carry similar penalties. Sentencing will follow federal guidelines and statutes.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England announced these developments today, acknowledging assistance from the West Bridgewater Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto is handling prosecution.
This case aligns with Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated federal, state, and local efforts.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.