Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DARRICK COLLETTE, 33, of Thompson, formerly of Putnam, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 19, 2013, an FBI special agent logged onto a publicly available Internet file sharing network and downloaded images and videos of child pornography from a computer connected to the network with an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to COLLETTE’s residence while he was living in Putnam. During a search of the residence on June 13, 2013, law enforcement officers seized computers and multiple external hard drives. COLLETTE was arrested at that time after he admitted that he had been downloading and trading child pornography over the Internet for more than 10 years.

Forensic analysis of COLLETTE’s computers and hard drives revealed more than 600 image files and videos of child pornography.

COLLETTE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000. A sentencing date is not yet scheduled. He has been released on a bond and electronic monitoring since his arrest.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The Connecticut State Police and Putnam Police Department assisted in the search of COLLETTE’s residence. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.