An Ashland man, Brent Vreeland, 36, has been charged with the transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Vreeland was arrested and charged with one count of transportation of child pornography, and following his initial court appearance in Boston, he was ordered to be detained pending a hearing.
The charges against Vreeland stem from an incident in October 2024 when he was flagged for secondary screening at Boston’s Logan Airport after arriving from Reykjavik, Iceland. During this screening, authorities allegedly found images and videos depicting CSAM in his Telegram Messenger app. Further forensic examination allegedly revealed about 30 media files depicting CSAM in direct messages with unknown users. Vreeland is also accused of receiving and distributing three videos in October 2021 that showed abuse of minors aged between four and ten years old.
The charge carries potential penalties, including at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes governing criminal cases.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, announced the charges with assistance from Customs and Border Patrol, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Vreeland is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.