Hartford Resident Charged with Child Exploitation Offense

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging MICHAEL SZWARC, 31, last residing in Hartford, with one count of receipt of child pornography.

The indictment was returned on February 5, 2019.  Szwarc, who had been detained in state custody since September 8, 2018, appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge.  He is detained pending trial.

As alleged in the indictment, between June and September 2018, Szwarc received images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The indictment further alleges that, in October 2013, Szwarc was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court of possession of child pornography.

If convicted of the federal charge, due to his alleged prior conviction, Scwarc faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Office of Adult Probation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.