By Ryan Mancini
masslive.com
BOSTON 鈥� A Salem man working as an emergency medical technician (EMT) was charged in connection with the possession of child sexual abuse material, United States Attorney Leah Foley鈥檚 office said.
Connor McAuliffe, 34, was charged with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. McAuliffe was arrested at his home on Wednesday morning.
Following his appearance in federal court in Boston, a judge ordered that he remain detained pending a hearing on Aug. 12, Foley鈥檚 office said in a statement.
McAuliffe holds an active paramedic certification with the Massachusetts Office of Health & Human Services and is employed by an emergency services company as an EMT.
A collateral criminal investigation by the South African Police Service in late 2023, McAuliffe was identified as being an active member of a 鈥渓arge-scale private encrypted messaging group鈥� made up of 1,000 members possessing, trading and receiving child sexual abuse material in January 2025, the statement read.
McAuliffe was also found to be a member of 14 other large-scale chat groups sharing child sexual abuse material within that one application, Foley鈥檚 office added.
After a search of McAuliffe鈥檚 home in March 2025, his cell phone was seized by investigators who found he was a member of about 100 chats dedicated to sharing child sexual abuse material, Foley鈥檚 office said. Chats were named 鈥淏oys Planet,鈥� 鈥淏oys of Eden,鈥� 鈥渂oys video,鈥� 鈥�10 to 16 years hot boys,鈥� and 鈥淐hicos ninos y adolescentes cp,鈥� which translates to 鈥淏oys, children and adolescents CP.鈥�
McAuliffe downloaded and stored around 1,500 images and 50 videos showing child sexual abuse material, including depictions showing boys between 9 and 11 years old, Foley鈥檚 office said.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
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