BOSTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Massachusetts), published as received.
BOSTON – A Lynn man has been arrested and charged with allegedly receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Zachary Brodeur, 37, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of receipt of child pornography. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Sept. 29, 2026, the defendant remains detained in state custody on related charges.
According to the charging documents, Brodeur was identified in an online chatroom in which he engaged with a law enforcement agent posing as a 14-year-old boy.
It is alleged that during a subsequent search of Brodeur’s cell phone, approximately 138 videos depicting CSAM were located in the phone’s downloads folder. It is further alleged that the videos depicted minors between the ages of five and 11 years old. Brodeur was convicted as a Youthful Offender for rape of a child and possession of child pornography in Massachusetts state courts.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 40 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police Department and the Scituate Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Conroy of the 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
