Londonderry Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials

CONCORD - Londonderry resident Donald Schwartz, 74, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Schwartz was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty to 60 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release. As part of his sentence, Schwartz was also ordered to pay $112,000 in restitution to 15 identified victims.

In late 2023, an undercover law enforcement operation identified Schwartz as using specialized peer-to-peer software to receive videos containing CSAM. He used the same software to make CSAM materials available to other users. Law enforcement subsequently searched Schwartz's home and discovered over a dozen devices which together contained thousands of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

"The defendant used his technical proficiency to amass an extensive collection of child sex abuse material," said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. "This sentence shows that those who fuel the market for child abuse and re-victimize children by collecting and sharing images of that abuse will be held accountable."

"Donald Schwartz possessed thousands and thousands of images depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. We can never undo the trauma inflicted upon these children when those images were captured, but HSI is committed to seeking justice by holding accountable individuals like Schwartz who perpetuate that trauma by participating in the trade of child sexual abuse imagery," said Homeland Security Investigations New England Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming.

Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Vicinanzo and John Kennedy prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 better 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.