BOSTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Massachusetts), published as received.

BOSTON – Daniel Lorenz, 45, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors.  U.S. District Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Feb. 9, 2016. 

On March 13, 2014, federal agents executed a search warrant at Lorenz’s Springfield residence.  At that time, Lorenz waived his Miranda rights and told agents that he possessed on his computer a large quantity of child pornography, including both image and video files, and that most of the files depicted girls between the ages of eight and fourteen.  Lorenz admitted that he had collected child pornography for at least three or four years and he distributed or received child pornography approximately three times per week using e-mail accounts.  Lorenz created and utilized multiple social media accounts, including various Facebook and Google+ profiles in the name and image of a minor female, in order to make contact with minor females for the purposes of obtaining child pornography and to engage in sexually explicit conversations with girls, which he found “sexually and emotionally exciting.”

Pursuant to the search warrant, agents seized Lorenz’s personal computer and located approximately 800 video files of child pornography, including many files depicting the rape, bondage, and sexual torture of girls as young as three years old.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000.  According to the plea agreement, Lorenz has agreed to serve between 48 and 121 months in prison and ten years of supervised release.  However, the agreement is subject to review and approval by the Court.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today.  Assistance was also provided by the Springfield Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Ortiz's Springfield Branch Office.