Keene Man Pleads Guilty to His Role in the Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

CONCORD – A Keene man pleaded guilty today in federal court in connection with his role in the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

Paul Baird, 44, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the production of child pornography. Judge Steven J. McAuliffe scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2025.

According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on January 29, 2024, Baird took at least one sexually explicit photograph of the minor victim’s genitalia and posted sexually explicit images of the minor victim on a dark website dedicated to CSAM. During the investigation, law enforcement found images and videos that constitute CSAM on the defendant’s phone.

At the time of his arrest, the defendant was employed as a bus driver by the Student Transportation of America, which is a school transportation company that services the Contoocook Valley (ConVal) School District.

The charge of aiding and abetting the production of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.  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.

Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. The Keene Police Department provided valuable assistance with this investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski is prosecuting 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 better 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/.

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