Burlington Man Sentenced For Child Exploitation Offense

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated today that Kevin Gallagher, 32, of Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced on April 7, 2014, in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, to serve six months imprisonment following his guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography.  United States District Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered the defendant to serve six months of home incarceration as part of a five-year term of supervised release, and to pay a $100 special assessment. 

According to court records, law enforcement was conducting undercover operations on a file-sharing network, and discovered a computer later identified as belonging to Gallagher was offering to share image files depicting child pornography.  Law enforcement seized Gallagher’s computer pursuant to a search warrant on February 1, 2013, and discovered nearly 400 images and videos depicting child pornography on it.

United States Attorney Coffin commended the work of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Homeland Security.  Gallagher was represented by John Pacht of Hoff Curtis.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara A. Masterson.

United States Attorney Coffin noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney=s Offices and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, 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.