Thomas Davis, 42, of Mansfield, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Feb. 8, to one count of receiving child pornography, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He faces a minimum of five years behind bars and up to two decades.
Police searched Davis' home on Aug. 26, 2021, and found a laptop with 40 images of child porn, the prosecutor said. The images were of prepubescent minors — some as young as 4 to 6 years old. A forensic inspection of the computer found more pictures and videos of kids, officials said.
Davis told agents he downloaded the porn through the instant messaging app Telegram, according to FBI records.
The FBI began investigating Davis after someone said they saw a video featuring the special education teacher having sex with a child, court records show. Agents found the video, but Davis claimed the person was 18, the document said. He said they met on a dating app, but Davis did not know the person's last name. It's unclear if agents ever identified the person in the video.
A judge is set to sentence Davis on May 18. Along with his time behind bars, he faces a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, officials said.
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