Brookline Man Charged with Production of Child Pornography

Press Release

Defendant allegedly used Snapchat to victimize children in multiple states

BOSTON - A Brookline, Mass. man was arrested today and charged with production of child pornography.

Scott Cunha, 24, is charged with recruiting a 15-year-old child to produce and send him to him child pornography. Cunha was arrested at his home in Brookline and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at 12 p.m. today.

According to the complaint, beginning in at least 2022, Cunha communicated over Snapchat with multiple minor children between 10 and 16 years old from across the country. He allegedly recruited the children to take nude images and videos of themselves and send to him over Snapchat, often in exchange for the promise or actual transfer of money. It is alleged that Cunha victimized children in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Indiana, Michigan and Missouri by enticing them to send child pornography and offering to pay them money in exchange for meeting up with him in person and engaging in sex acts with him. According to the charging document, Cunha did, in fact, meet up with at least one minor victim.

Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this individual or alleged crime should contact call (617) 748-3274.

The charge of production of child pornography carries with it a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years 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 and Jodi Cohen Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings and Elizabeth Riley of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Updated January 23, 2025