Peabody Man Accused Of Child Sexual Abuse Photo, Video Possession

PEABODY, MA — A Peabody man is facing a child pornography transportation charge after the U.S. Attorney's Office said that an analysis of his phone discovered 20 photos and 952 videos involving child sexual abuse material on his phone as he returned from the Dominican Republic this spring.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Felix Santos, 34, was arrested and appeared in federal court to face the charge in Boston on Tuesday.

Court documents said Santos was ordered to undergo a secondary inspection by border agents when he returned to Logan Airport from the Dominican Republic on May 18.

"During a screening of Santos’' phone, multiple files consistent with CSAM were allegedly located in his Telegram chat application," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a release. "It is further alleged that subsequent analysis revealed at least 20 photos and 952 videos depicting CSAM on the phone."

The charge of transporting child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said the 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.

More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found here.