Norfolk Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Minor

BOSTON - A Norfolk man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to sexually exploiting a two-year-old minor victim from Massachusetts.

Ethan Irving, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Oct. 27, 2026. Irving was arrested and charged in January 2026.

In June 2025, Irving was identified as an online user who uploaded three files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to Kik Messenger. A July 2025 forensic analysis of two cell phones sized from Irving's residence located multiple media files depicting CSAM. As a result of the findings, Irving was arrested and charged in Wrentham District Court in July 2025. He subsequently pleaded guilty to Dissemination of Obscene Matter and Possession of Child Pornography on Dec. 3, 2025, for which he was sentenced to two years of probation with conditions that prohibit his contact with children.

According to the charging documents, on Dec. 15, 2025, while reviewing evidence related to Irving's state prosecution, additional CSAM was located on Irving's devices that had not previously been seen by investigators. Specifically, the images appeared to be a continuous series, sequential in time, depicting Irving sexually abusing a two-year-old female toddler. The images appeared to have been taken inside a bedroom at Irving's residence, with the bedding depicted in the images matching sheets observed and photographed during a search of the home in July 2025.

The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a sentence of no less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Michael Jenkins, Chief of East Bridgewater Police Department; and James Floyd, Chief of the Plainville Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Norfolk Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting 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 locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..