Boston Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Pornography Offense

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing child pornography.

Paul Fest, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On May 4, 2021, Fest pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

On Dec. 15, 2020, a search of Fest’s Beacon Hill residence resulted in the seizure of a computer and multiple external storage devices. On one thumb drive, there were over 100 videos and more than 50 images of child pornography.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Dell’Anno and Kenneth G. Shine of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.