BOSTON – An Amesbury man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for child pornography charges.
Thomas Cross, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. On Aug. 18, 2023, Cross pleaded guilty to one count each of distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Cross’ charges stem from the November 2018 search of his home that resulted in the seizure of several electronic devices which contained files depicting child pornography and chats between Cross and a person subsequently identified as Desiree Daigle, in which they exchanged various child pornography files. Some of the images depicted an infant known to Daigle, taken in Daigle’s home. In the chat, the two discussed plans for Cross to meet the child in person so that he and Daigle could sexually abuse the child together. Both Cross and Daigle admitted to exchanging child pornography with each other.
Daigle was arrested and charged separately with the sexual exploitation of children. In October 2022, she was sentenced to 17 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Cross was detained following his arrest in November 2018. He subsequently appealed the order of pretrial detention to the District Court, who released Cross in July 2019 on conditions which, among other things, prohibited him from accessing the internet, possessing pornographic material and possessing internet-accessible devices. However, in June 2020, Cross was re-arrested after he was found using social media to exchange child pornography and he was found to be in possession of multiple cell phones and an internet-connected gaming console – in violation of his conditions of release. Cross has remained in federal custody since.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Amesbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
