BOSTON — A Pittsfield man has pleaded guilty to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material, the U.S. Attorney said.
Benjamin Shacar, 39, pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to 10 counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement.
U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for June 22.
Shacar was charged by criminal complaint in March 2021.
According to charging documents, between August 2020 and March 2021, Shacar received and possessed child sexual abuse material.
During a search of Shacar’s residence, a thumb drive and a laptop containing multiple files depicting child sexual abuse material were located, prosecutors said.
During an on-scene interview, Shacar admitted to investigators that he viewed and downloaded child sexual abuse material from the internet.
For each charge of receipt of child pornography, Shacar faces a sentence of no less than five years and up to 20 years in prison.
For the charge of possession of child pornography, Shacar faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Each charge also provides for at least five years 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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