A Holyoke man, Justin Ouimette, has been charged with possession of child sexual abuse material. The 34-year-old, who is a registered sex offender, will make an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield at a later date.
In October 2022, Ouimette was convicted of possession of child pornography in Massachusetts Superior Court. According to the charging documents, a search conducted in July 2024 revealed over 200 files depicting CSAM on Ouimette's electronic devices. An additional 200 files were found in his Dropbox account.
On July 25, 2024, Ouimette received a probation violation and was sentenced to one year of incarceration, which he is currently serving.
The charge for possession of child pornography as a registered sex offender carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison. It also includes five years to life of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, announced the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto 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 May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. It involves collaboration between federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
"The details contained in the charging documents are allegations," authorities stated. "The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.