Former Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Federal Child Pornography Charge

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDREW W. NIELSEN, 49, of South Windsor, pleaded guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to one count of possession of child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between November 2010 and April 2011, NIELSEN purchased several DVDs containing child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent minors, from a foreign company and had them shipped to his residence.  NIELSEN was arrested on November 1, 2012.  On that date, law enforcement executed a court-authorized search warrant at NIELSEN’s residence and seized several of the DVDs that he had ordered.

NIELSEN was a police officer with the East Hartford Police Department at the time of the offense.  He resigned from the police department after his arrest.

Judge Covello scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2014, at which time NIELSEN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.  

NIELSEN has been released on bond under electronic monitoring by the United States Probation Office since November 2012.

This matter is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov