An Amherst man has admitted guilt in a federal court in Boston for charges related to child pornography. Bradley Driscoll, aged 26, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The plea was entered on February 5, 2025, with U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni setting the sentencing date for May 13, 2025. Driscoll faced indictment by a federal grand jury in October 2023.
The investigation revealed that on or around August 29, 2022, Driscoll distributed and possessed CSAM. He engaged in an online chat via Kik with an undercover agent where he showed interest in obtaining such materials. During this interaction, Driscoll shared a link containing approximately 345 files depicting minors being sexually abused.
In September 2023, Driscoll confessed to federal agents that he owned the Kik username involved and had found the link through other chat groups on the platform. He admitted requesting sexual material from the undercover agent and acknowledged the Mega link he provided contained illicit content involving children.
The charge of distribution carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and could lead to up to 20 years in prison, along with supervised release ranging from five years to life and a fine of $250,000. The possession charge also includes potential penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, a mandatory minimum of five years supervised release up to life, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge according to United States Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations; and Gabriel Ting, Chief of the Amherst Police Department announced these developments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus from the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at protecting children from exploitation and abuse by coordinating resources at various government levels to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.