BOSTON — A Massachusetts man arrested on a child porn charge is accused of taking part in “nude video chats” on Snapchat with a 12-year-old girl in Delaware, federal authorities said Wednesday.
Nicholas J. McDonagh, 25, of Hyde Park, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement.
McDonagh was arrested on April 23 and remains in federal custody pending further order by the court.
According to the charging documents, in June 2025, investigators with the Delaware State Police identified McDonagh as the potential suspect behind sexually explicit messages, photos, and videos that had been sent to a 12-year-old Delaware girl via Snapchat earlier that year.
Prosecutors allege that McDonagh had been communicating with this girl over Snapchat from approximately January to March 2025, and that the two had engaged in “nude video chats.”
During subsequent searches of McDonagh’s residence and person on Aug. 6, 2025, investigators seized several cellphones.
Prosecutors allege that the devices were found to contain approximately 24 video files depicting child sexual abuse material, including several videos depicting girls who appear to be younger than 12 years old.
One of the devices contained several Snapchat messages with the minor victim from Delaware, prosecutors said.
McDonagh was arrested and charged by state authorities that same day, on Aug. 6, 2025. He was later released on bail with pretrial conditions, including GPS monitoring, internet restrictions, and refraining from any unsupervised contact with minors.
He faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns, or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or email USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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