Brockton Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Coercing at Least Three Minors to Engage in Sexually Explicit Conduct

BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for coercing three minors to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Zaire Aquil Lodge, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 15 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release. In January 2024, Lodge pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of receipt of child pornography. 

On various dates in 2021, Lodge created a false online persona of a teenage boy which he used to convince at least three minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct and send him sexualized images of themselves. Additionally, Lodge knowingly received and attempted to receive CSAM between February and October 2021. 

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.