Chicopee Man Receives 15 Years For Child Exploitation

BOSTON - A Chicopee man was sentenced today for attempting to produce sexually explicit images of children.

Joseph Hiersche, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper to 15 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. In November 2012, Hiersche pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

Between March 2010 and March 2012, Hiersche downloaded numerous images and videos of child pornography from the Internet. Using hidden cameras, Hiersche also took videos of nude children with the intent to produce sexually explicit images of the children. Hiersche made these videos in order to send them to a person with whom he had established an online relationship.

“Our duty, as members of law enforcement, is to protect members of society, especially the most vulnerable members of our society, children,” said United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. “Victims of sexual exploitation are robbed of their innocence and of their childhood. We will continue to work relentlessly to ensure that individuals who target children for their own personal satisfaction are investigated and prosecuted.”

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Mark G. Mastroianni, Hampden County District Attorney; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner William Fitchet of the Springfield Police Department; and Chief John R. Ferraro, Jr. of the Chicopee Police Department made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Unit.