Mass. man arrested for sexually exploiting 2-year-old girl, feds say

BOSTON — A Norfolk man is accused of sexually exploiting a two-year-old girl from Massachusetts.

Ethan Irving, 36, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement on Thursay.

Irving was arrested this morning in Norfolk and was scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on Thursday afternoon.

In June 2025, Irving was identified as an online user who uploaded three files of child sexual abuse material to Kik Messenger, prosecutors said.

A July 2025 forensic analysis of two cell phones sized from Irving’s residence located multiple media files depicting child sexual abuse material.

As a result of the findings, Irving was arrested and charged in Wrentham District Court in July 2025. He subsequently pleaded guilty to dissemination of obscene matter and possession of child pornography on Dec. 3, 2025. He was sentenced to two years of probation with conditions that prohibit his contact with children.

According to the charging documents, on Dec. 15, 2025, while reviewing evidence related to Irving’s state prosecution, additional child sexual abuse material was allegedly found on Irving’s devices that had not previously been seen by investigators.

Specifically, the images allegedly appeared to be a continuous series, sequential in time, depicting Irving sexually abusing a two-year-old female toddler who was known to him, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors allege that the images appeared to have been taken inside a bedroom at Irving’s home, with the bedding depicted in the images matching sheets seen and photographed by law enforcement during a search of the home in July 2025.

If convicted of the charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy), Irving faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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