Worcester Man Indicted on Child Pornography Offenses

BOSTON - A Worcester man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Worcester for possessing and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Charlton Pasley, 48, was charged with receipt and possession of child pornography. Pasley was arrested and charged by complaint on July 1, 2024. Pasley will be arraigned in federal court in Worcester at a later date.

According to the charging documents, a search was executed at Pasley's home in June 2024. Pasley was in possession of numerous electronic devices that allegedly contained child sexual abuse material. Pasley allegedly admitted to law enforcement that he used numerous social medial platforms to view and download CSAM.

The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Both charges carry at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England and Interim Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the criminal division is prosecuting 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.

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