Sanbornton resident pleads guilty to possession of more than 2K images of child porn in federal court

CONCORD — Timothy Ryan, 35, of Sanbornton, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to possession of child porn, according to U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young in a media release.

U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe scheduled Ryan's sentencing for March 12, 2024.

According to court records and statements made in court, Ryan was identified as a top offender in the state for supplying child porn through BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer network. Investigators traced the internet activity to his residence, and later obtained a federal search warrant to seize and search his electronic devices. Forensic examination of Ryan's cellphone found approximately 2,600 files of apparent child porn.

According to sentencing guidelines, Ryan could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, a minimum five years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and mandatory restitution. 

Homeland Security led the investigation, and were assisted by the New England Cyber Fraud Task Force, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Nashua Police Department, the Grafton County Sheriff’s Department, and the Sanbornton Police Department, according to the media release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland is prosecuting the case.

The case is 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. For more information, visit justice.gov/psc.