Whitinsville Man Indicted for Enticing Minors to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Conduct and Possessing Child Pornography

Andrew Myers is a Former Northbridge School Committee Member, Part-Time Teacher, and Boy Scout Leader

BOSTON—A Whitinsville lawyer, who is also a Boy Scout leader and part-time middle school teacher, was indicted today in federal court and charged with using the Internet to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual conduct and possessing child pornography.

Andrew Jonathan Myers, 34, originally charged via complaint last month, was indicted today with four counts of using the Internet to entice, persuade, or induce a minor to engage in unlawful sexual conduct and one count of possessing child pornography.

The indictment alleges that between May 7 and 9, 2012, and on June 28, 2012, Myers sent graphic e-mails to three minors upon whom Myers proposed to perform sexual acts. The minors were known to Myers through his work as a teacher or Boy Scout leader.

Myers’ actions were discovered when the mother of a 12-year-old boy in Colorado presented the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office with copies of e-mails and chats between an unknown 33-year-old man and her 12-year-old son. Through investigation, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office traced the origin of the e-mails and chats to Myers. Myers also is charged in the indictment with enticing the 12-year-old Colorado boy.

Myers is further charged with possessing child pornography on a laptop computer which was seized from his home on August 21, 2012, pursuant to a federal search warrant.

If convicted, Myers faces not less than 10 years and up to life in prison on the enticement charges and up to 10 years in prison on the possession of child pornography charges. Both charges carry a supervised release term of five years to life.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Boston Field Office; District Attorney Joseph Early of Worcester County; Colonel Timothy Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Northbridge Police Chief Walter J. Worhol; and Millbury Police Chief Mark S. Moore made the announcement today. This was a joint investigation that was initiated by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, which discovered Myers’ alleged conduct and provided the information that led to both his identification and these federal charges. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Grady and David Hennessy of Ortiz’s Worcester Office.

The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.