Massachusetts man pleads guilty to transfer of obscene material to a minor, possession of child porn

A Plainville man pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography and to charges arising from him sending obscene photos of himself to someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

David Cerasuolo, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2022. Cerasuolo was indicted in October 2020 and has remained in custody since his arrest.

Starting in June 2020, Cerasuolo used chat applications to engage in conversations with an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old girl but who was actually an undercover federal agent. During these conversations, Cerasuolo attempted to entice the 13-year-old to engage in sexual activity and sent her several photographs of himself, including one displaying his genitalia. During their communications, Cerasuolo sent over 1,000 messages to the person he believed to be the 13-year-old girl. He was also found in possession of child pornography on his cell phone.

The charge of transfer of obscene material to a minor provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. 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 $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. The Plainville, Arlington, Boston and Newton Police Departments and Massachusetts Department of Correction provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.