A master sergeant with the Massachusetts National Guard has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on charges of possession and distribution of child sex abuse images, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Nicholas Wells, 43, allegedly engaged in chats on a messaging application in which he allegedly discussed his interest in minors and distributed videos depicting child sex abuse.
Wells is a master sergeant with the 102 Security Forces of the Massachusetts National Guard stationed in Sandwich.
Prosecutors allege that, following search warrants for Wells’ messaging application account and home, over 300 images and 100 videos depicting child sex abuse were located on his phone, along with evidence that he distributed over 70 videos depicting child sex abuse. Some of the images involved infants.
The charge of possessing child sex abuse images provides for a sentence up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The charge of distributing child sex abuse images provides for a sentence of at leave 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.
Wells was originally arrested in October, and following an initial appearance in federal court agreed to voluntary detention pending trial.
