Adams Man Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography

BOSTON – An Adams man was charged yesterday in U.S. District Court in Springfield with possessing child pornography.

William Guinan, 51, of Adams, Mass., was charged in an Information with possessing material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. Pursuant to a plea agreement also filed, Guinan has agreed to a sentence of between 37 and 46 months in prison and five to 15 years of supervised release.

In October 2012, a federal agent used a computer program to conduct a search for individuals engaged in receiving, possessing, and distributing child pornography over a peer-to-peer filing sharing (P2P) network. The program successfully downloaded several files of child pornography from an IP address that agents later determined was connected to a residence in Adams. Based upon this investigation, agents obtained and executed a federal search warrant for the residence in November 2012. A computer that contained numerous files of child pornography, including three video files that were downloaded in November 2012, was located. During the execution of the search warrant, Guinan stated that he used the computer and that approximately four days earlier, he downloaded these three files of child pornography using the P2P network.

On Nov. 29, 2012, federal agents arrested Guinan. He was charged in a criminal complaint with receiving material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. The Information filed today charges Guinan with possessing child pornography.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Bruce Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New England, made the announcement. The case was investigated with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police and the Adams Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Ortiz's Springfield Branch Office.

The details contained in the information are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.