Southampton Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

BOSTON – A Southampton man pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield today to distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography. 

Bruce Singer, 72, pleaded guilty to five counts of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2019. Singer was indicted in March 2017 and was released on conditions. At today’s hearing, Singer was ordered detained pending sentencing.

On various occasions between April 30, 2013, and June 25, 2015, Singer sent and received child pornography by text and email. When police searched his home in 2015, Singer possessed hundreds of images of child pornography on various electronic devices, including images of several known child victims. Singer exchanged child pornography with others, including James J. Smith, who was convicted in federal court in Springfield of distributing, transporting, receiving, and possessing child pornography. In September 2017, Smith was sentenced to 138 months in federal prison.

The charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography each provide for no greater than 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. If the plea agreement between the parties is accepted by the Court, Singer will be sentenced to eight years in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper; and Easthampton Police Chief Robert Alberti made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Leslie Fisher of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.

This 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. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.