Cambridge Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Offense

BOSTON – A Cambridge man was sentenced today for purchasing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with digital currency from the dark web. 

David H. Chang, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. Restitution to victims will be determined at a later date. On Sept. 15, 2023, Chang pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. 

In April 2021, Chang was identified as the owner of a cryptocurrency account being used to purchased CSAM from a site on the dark web. During a search of Chang’s apartment in January 2022, approximately 1,700 images and 360 videos depicting CSAM were found of Chang’s electronic devices. The files showed the abuse of minors ranging from approximately two years old to approximately 10 to 12 years old, with some videos up to 50 minutes in length. 

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Homeland Security Investigations in New Haven (Conn.) provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Soto and Benjamin Tolkoff of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.