North Attleboro Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography and Distribution of Animal Abuse Video Charges

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A North Attleboro, MA, resident today pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to distributing, receiving, possessing, and accessing with intent to view child pornography, and to distributing and transporting an animal crush video, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Samuel Maigret, 28, pleaded guilty as charged in a six-count indictment with distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, access with intent to view child pornography, distribution of an animal crush video, and transfer of obscene material (animal crush video).

According to charging documents and information presented to the court, during a September 2021 court-authorized search of Maigret's then Pawtucket residence and a cellphone located on his person, Homeland Security Investigations agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force discovered a significant quantity of images and videos depicting images of child sexual abuse materials, including videos of adult males involved in sexual acts with infants. Additionally, a forensic review of Maigret's digital storage devices revealed evidence that Maigret used online applications to distribute child sexual abuse materials and to distribute a video that depicts an individual causing serious injury to and what appears to be the death of a dog.

Maigret is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2024. The defendant's sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.

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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