A Brazilian citizen residing in Stamford, Max Mota Pinho, was charged with possession of child pornography according to a March 13 announcement by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England.
The case is significant as it involves allegations that a cloud-based storage company reported videos and images of child sexual abuse stored on an account later identified as belonging to Pinho. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received multiple CyberTipline reports from the company, leading to an investigation that confirmed the presence of child sex abuse material on Pinho’s account.
Pinho was arrested at his residence in Stamford and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport. He was released on a $50,000 bond but subsequently taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after it was determined he had overstayed a tourist visa issued in 2003. The charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan said, “a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” The investigation involves Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Stamford Police Department, the Watertown Police Department, and the Westport Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, individuals are encouraged to visit www.cybertipline.com.