Keene Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offense

CONCORD - A Keene man pleaded guilty to a child exploitation offense, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Connor Mueller, 31, pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe scheduled sentencing for December 16, 2025.

In 2023, an undercover law enforcement operation identified Mueller as using specialized peer-to-peer software to receive videos containing CSAM. The same software allowed other users to access materials shared by Mueller. Law enforcement subsequently searched Mueller's home and discovered multiple devices which together contained numerous images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

The charging statute provides a sentence of up to 20 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statues which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Keene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo is prosecuting the case.

The case is 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.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

###