Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offense

BOSTON – An Ohio man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Thiago da Silva Pinheiro, 42, of Cincinnati, Ohio, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2024. Pinheiro was initially arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2022.

On Sept. 20, 2022, Pinheiro flew from Ontario, Canada to Boston with an ultimate destination of Brazil. During screening at Logan Airport, customs officers observed apparent CSAM on Pinheiro’s tablet. On Pinheiro’s tablet, there were approximately 100 images and 2000 video files depicting child pornography, with children as young as 2 years old and including the depiction of penetration, bondage, and posing of children.  On Pinheiro’s phone, there were approximately 35 images and 10 videos depicting child pornography including children from 8 to 16 years old.  

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

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. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Jessica L. Soto of the Office’s Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting 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 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.