BOSTON – A former pediatric doctor at Boston Children’s Hospital has been sentenced to nearly two decades in federal prison for child pornography, the U.S. Attorney said Thursday.
Christopher Sheerer, 37, of Boston, was sentenced to 22 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper handed down his sentence.
Sheerer was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $65,722, Foley said. An additional amount of restitution will be determined at a hearing scheduled for March 26.
Sheerer pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of distribution of child pornography; one count of possession of child pornography; and one count of sexual exploitation of children.
Sheerer was arrested and charged in July 2024 and has remained in federal custody since.
“Every time child sexual abuse material is created, shared, or viewed, children are revictimized again and again,” Foley said.
“Each case serves as a difficult reminder that child predators are embedded in our communities,” Foley said. “This defendant did not just possess this heinous material – he produced it himself and shared it with others."
“Moreover, his chosen employment increased his direct contact with children,” Foley said. “Today’s sentence reflects the devastating harm these crimes inflict on real children and sends a clear message that those who fuel this abuse will face severe consequences. Our office will continue to work tirelessly to protect children, pursue justice for victims and hold offenders fully accountable.”
Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations New England called Sheerer “among the worst kind of criminal we investigate.”
“He held a position of trust in the community, but behind closed doors he was a predator of the highest order, not only participating in online groups dedicated to the sharing of photos depicting the sexual abuse of children but also acting as a hands-on offender,” Krol said. “Now, he’s facing over two decades behind bars.”
“When our special agents go to work every day, they’re working toward making the world a safer place for children,” Krol said. “We hope that today’s sentence does just that and brings a measure of security to the family of the child he victimized as they move forward and begin to heal.”
Sheerer was a fellow in pediatric cardiac anesthesiology at Boston Children’s Hospital at the time of his arrest and was previously a fellow in pediatric anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
In May 2024, an investigation began into a user of an online, encrypted chat application who belonged to a group dedicated to the sharing of child sex abuse material, prosecutors said.
The target user was subsequently identified as Sheerer, with an IP address tracing him to Johns Hopkins University, prosecutors said. Sheerer uploaded imagery of a child known to him to gain admission to that group.
Following a search of Sheerer’s residence in Boston, multiple chats were discovered on Sheerer’s phone, several of which contained pictures and videos appearing to be child sex abuse material involving children as young as infants, prosecutors said.
Forensic analysis of devices seized pursuant to the warrant showed that Sheerer was involved in dozens of chats with users of the encrypted application, prosecutors said. Several files included the exchange of child sex abuse material, including imagery of a child known to Sheerer.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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