Dover Man Sentenced to Two Decades in Federal Prison in Connection with “Catfishing” Scheme Targeting Minor Victims

CONCORD - A Dover man was sentenced today in federal court for child exploitation offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Evan Gadarowski, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Samantha Elliott to 240 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release. On October 23, 2023, Gadarowski pleaded guilty to one count each of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, or CSAM.

"The defendant caused numerous minor survivors unimaginable trauma and pain. He manipulated high-school aged girls into thinking he was someone he was not and used this fictitious persona to gain their trust to obtain explicit images and videos from them. In some instances, when these survivors resisted his demands for more images, he threatened to disseminate the compromising images already in his possession to others," said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. "The defendant's criminal conduct was calculated and horrifically cruel. He preyed on the survivors' deepest fears, causing them prolonged anguish. While the sentenced imposed today will never restore what the defendant stole from the survivors, it is a step in their healing process and will also ensure the public is safe from the defendant for the next two decades."

"NH ICAC is honored and privileged to work with so many dedicated law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys. Cases in which child victims fall prey to the actions of sexual predators who choose to take advantage of their innocence and threaten their physical and emotional well-being have risen at an alarming rate," said Lt. Eric Kinsman, Commander of the NH ICAC Task Force. "NH ICAC will continue to remain vigilant when it comes to protecting the children of NH and preserving the happiness they deserve. Resources for parents and children can be found at https://icactaskforce.org."

According to court documents and statements made in court, Gadarowski solicited, received, and disseminated sexually explicit images and videos depicting numerous minor victims between 2018 and 2021. Gadarowski "catfished" his victims by posing as a teenage girl using sexually explicit images and videos of one minor victim and adopting them as part of a fictious online persona. Using this fictious persona, Gadarowski posed as a bisexual female and pursued online relationships with high-school aged girls. Gadarowski sent sexually explicit images and videos depicting one minor victim to others and induced unsuspecting minor victims to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves in return. The investigation also revealed that Gadarowski sold sexually explicit images depicting some of his minor victims to others online.

Homeland Security Investigations led the federal investigation. The Nashua Police Department and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task force provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland prosecuted 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.

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