Thomas J. Richardson, 67 of West Harwich, pleaded guilty Thursday to child pornography charges that stemmed from an undercover investigation launched by the FBI in July 2008, according to a Department of Justice press release.
During the investigation agents befriended Richardson in a peer-to-peer file sharing software program and located a pornagraphic video and image involving a toddler boy and minor boy.
In September of 2008 the West Midlands Police in Birmingham, England reached out to the FBI in Boston to report that Richardson was trading pornography through the Google Hello program on computers in his homes in West Harwich and Charlestown, as well as on a computer from his then-employer.
The FBI executed a search warrant of both Richardson’s homes in November, 2008 and seized six computers.
The FBI found evidence of significant child pornography activity on the computers, including images depicting the sadomasochistic sexual abuse of children.
The case is part of Project Safe Child, created in 2006 to protect children from abuse and exploitation.
Richardson will be sentenced April 17, 2013. As part of his plea agreement Richardson will be sentenced between 24 and 46 months in prison, followed by five years supervised release, restitution and forfeiture.