Branford Man Gets 13 Years For Child Sexual Abuse Photos, Videos: Feds

BRANFORD, CT — Michael Holm, 43, of Branford, a predicate sex offender, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse photos and videos, among them ones depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, the Justice Department said.

In federal court Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley also ordered that his 156-month prison term be followed by 10 years of supervised release.

According to U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, court documents and statements made in court, from approximately September 1, 2014 to March 8, 2021, Holm possessed images and videos of child pornography on his iPhone and in his online Dropbox account. He also used various other websites and mobile applications, such as ChatStep, Kik, Discord, Skype, and others, to distribute child pornography to others, sometimes in exchange for child pornography in return, Avery said. A review of Holm’s iPhone and online accounts revealed that, during this time period, he possessed at least 142 unique image files and 118 unique video files of child pornography, including images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, the federal prosecutor said.

Holm engaged in some of this conduct while he was on federal supervised release for a prior child pornography offense, per the Justice Department news release. In August 2011, Holm was sentenced to three months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for possession of child pornography, per court records..

The penalties in this case, Avery said, were enhanced based on Holm’s prior conviction.

Holm has been detained since his arrest on May 24, 2021. On September 9, 2021, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

Judge Dooley ordered Holm to pay $29,000 in restitution to victims whose images he possessed and distributed.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj N. Patel and Katherine E. Boyles.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.