Seabrook Resident Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

            CONCORD - United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today that Richard Silvestri, 49, of Seabrook, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, sometime before December 7, 2017, Silvestri produced visual depictions of an eight-year-old minor female engaging in sexually explicit activity.  Silvestri used a Samsung cellular phone to produce the images.  Silvestri’s activities were discovered based on a lead from an undercover agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) based in Alaska.  That agent notified the Bedford office of the FBI and Silvestri was arrested on December 7, 2017 in Seabrook. 

            A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 27, 2018.

            “The production of child pornography is a terrible crime that causes real damage to its young victims,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to locate and prosecute individuals who engage in this unlawful conduct and to seek justice for the victims whose lives are affected by these predators.”

            “Mr. Silvestri is finally accepting responsibility for his atrocious actions.  He repeatedly abused an innocent child.  Few, if any, crimes are more outrageous.  That’s why the FBI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect our children from predators like him,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston Division.

            The FBI and the Seabrook Police Department participated in the investigation of this case.  Staff from the Rockingham County Child Advocacy Center also assisted in the case.  Assistant United States Attorneys Donald A. Feith and Helen White Fitzgibbon prosecuted the case.

            In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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