Northford Man Pleads Guilty To Receiving Child Porn: Justice Dept.

NORTH BRANFORD, CT — In a New Haven federal courtroom Thursday, Joseph Amadeo, 38, of Northford, pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography, according to Vanessa Roberts Avery, US Attorney for Connecticut.

According to Avery, court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, Homeland Security Investigations began investigating Amadeo for his involvement in an online community of individuals who sent and received child pornography images and videos on the dark web.

On March 24, 2021, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Amadeo’s residence and seized Amadeo’s computer and other electronic devices, Avery said. Analysis of the devices revealed thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, many as young as infants, according to the US Attorney. He was arrested on June 3, 2021, records show.

Amadeo pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years. He's scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on July 12 in Hartford.

Amadeo is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.

Amadeo is a registered sex offender on the Connecticut Sex Offender Registry based on a 2013 state conviction involving child pornography. He "collected and shared approximately 495 images of child pornography and 194 videos of child pornography of victims that were unknown" to him, per the registry and court records. Read more on the sex offender registry here.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda S. Oakes and Nancy V. Gifford.

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.