BOSTON — An investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations New England led to the Aug. 6 arrest of Connor McAuliffe, a 34-year-old emergency medical technician, for allegedly receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.

McAuliffe, of Salem, was allegedly identified as an active member in a large-scale private encrypted messaging group dedicated to the trading of child sexual abuse material comprising over 1,000 members from around the world. Further investigation allegedly identified McAuliffe as a member in at least 14 other different large-scale chat groups on one chat application dedicated to sharing the same types of materials.

“As alleged, Connor McAuliffe was serving in a position of public trust — in a role that often exposed him to vulnerable populations, including children — when he was arrested for what can only be described as despicable crimes,” said HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “Protecting minors from individuals like this defendant is not only paramount; it’s personal. HSI New England is committed to utilizing every tool at our disposal in protecting our community’s kids.”

Read more on Justice.gov