Derry Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Materials Through Encrypted Online Network

CONCORD – Derry resident Joseph Baran, 56, pleaded guilty today in federal court to distributing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) as part of a covert international online community, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. United States District Court Judge Landya McCafferty has scheduled sentencing for February 15, 2027. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, Baran was involved in the collection and distribution of CSAM as part of a sophisticated, anonymous, online network that operated both in the United States and other countries. The FBI was able to identify Baran as a member of the network. A subsequent search of his home and electronic devices confirmed his role in the crime. 

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Valuable support has been provided by the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Vicinanzo and Christopher Mignanelli 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.