Mattapan Man Sentenced for Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography, Reports U.S. Attorney

11 February 2006

A Mattapan man was convicted and sentenced today in federal court for receipt and possession of child pornography.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Peter Zegarac, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in New England; Robin M. Avers, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New England; and Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole, announced today that DUSTIN T. WARD, age 28, of 25 Alpine Street, Mattapan, MA, formerly of 53 Cedar Street, Mattapan, and formerly of 73 Sanford Street, Mattapan, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris to 5 years' imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release following his release from prison. WARD was also ordered by Judge Saris to forfeit to the United States certain material and property involved in the offenses. WARD pleaded guilty on November 9, 2005 to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

At the earlier plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the evidence would have proven that on January 7, 2004 a postal inspector acting undercover ("UC"), placed advertisements on the internet offering persons the opportunity to purchase or trade child pornography. Shortly thereafter, WARD contacted the UC via e-mail and stated that he wanted to check out the UC's child pornography movies.

On January 20, 2004, the UC responded to WARD that he sells the movies for $20 each and that they are of young girls. The UC listed in the e-mail message the videotapes the UC had available for sale, and provided a short description of each video.

In response to WARD's reply, the UC informed WARD that the price per video was $20 and informed him that payment is accepted in the form of cash or money order. The UC also provided a name and address for WARD to send his order to.

On January 21, 2004, WARD responded by e-mail that he lived in Massachusetts and wanted to order videotape #12f.

On January 22, 2004, WARD sent an e-mail to the UC providing his name and address as "Dus War 73 Sanford Street, Mattapan, MA 02126."

On January 29, 2004, the UC received a registered letter from WARD. Inside the envelope was a yellow post-note and handwritten on it was "Bosstown 2002 send #12f." Also included was a $20 bill.

Investigators determined that DUSTIN WARD resided at 73 Sanford Street in Mattapan. Investigators further determined that the internet account used to correspond with WARD was in the name of Dustin Nelson at 73 Sanford Street in Mattapan. Nelson is the maiden name of WARD's mother.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for 73 Sanford Street, Mattapan, MA, and on March 3, 2004, a controlled delivery of videotape 12f occurred. On that same date, investigators also executed the search warrant.

After he was arrested and after waiving his Miranda rights, WARD admitted that he had purchased videotape #12f containing child pornography. The defendant also admitted that 50% of the digital images found on his computer were of child pornography. Investigators seized WARD's computer, from which numerous child pornographic images were discovered of known and unknown prepubescent children and minor children under the age of 12 years.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Boston Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Antoinette E.M. Leoney in Sullivan's Major Crimes Unit.

Source: prnewswire

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