A North Attleboro man has been sentenced in a federal court for charges related to child sexual abuse material and animal abuse videos. The Acting United States Attorney, Sara Minor Bloom, announced that Samuel E. Maigret received a five-year prison sentence. The judgment was passed by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy and includes 10 years of supervised release following the incarceration.
Maigret, aged 29, pleaded guilty on April 30, 2024, to charges including distribution of child pornography, receipt and possession of child pornography, access with intent to view child pornography, distribution of an animal crush video, and transfer of obscene material related to animal abuse. No plea agreement was filed in the case.
The case emerged after a search in September 2021 at Maigret’s Pawtucket residence. Authorities discovered around 3,000 videos and images depicting child sexual abuse material on his digital devices. These included videos showing adult males engaged in sexual acts with infants and evidence of Maigret's distribution of such material online. A particularly disturbing video showed an individual inflicting severe injury leading to the apparent death of a dog.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton prosecuted the case. It was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. This initiative began in May 2006, coordinating federal, state, and local efforts to prosecute offenders and protect victims. More details on this initiative can be found at the Department of Justice website.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.