Nashua Man Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing Child Pornography

             CONCORD - Chad Francisco, 31, of Nashua, pleaded guilty in federal court to manufacturing child pornography, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

             According to court documents and statements made in court, a child endangerment investigation by the Nashua Police Department resulted in a criminal investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”).  During the investigation, HSI obtained a federal search warrant for Francisco’s cellular phone, which revealed visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct involving two children under the age of 10 years old.  Francisco created the visual depictions using his cellular phone and admitted to transmitting the photos to others through text messages.

            Francisco is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2021.

            “Protecting children from abuse is among the highest priorities of law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “Those who exploit a child in order to create child pornography subject their victim to trauma that may have enduring consequences throughout the child’s lifetime. We work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who harm children by manufacturing child pornography.”

            ​”We’re gratified that a guilty plea has been achieved in this case, which involved not just the distribution but the creation of multiple disturbing images of child victims by this defendant,” said David Magdycz, acting Special Agent In Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, (HSI), Boston. “This case is testimony to the effectiveness of the close partnership that HSI and our law enforcement partners in the Nashua Police Department and the U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire have built and continue to strengthen in order to combat crimes against children in New Hampshire.”

            This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Nashua Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland.

            In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.