Provincetown Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Distributing Child Pornography

BOSTON - A Provincetown man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to child pornography offenses. The defendant possessed several thousand image and video files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Laurence Pagnoni, 65, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2026. Pagnoni was arrested and charged in April 2024.

An individual arrested in a child exploitation sting reported to law enforcement that, in March of 2023, Pagnoni distributed CSAM to him via the online cloud storage platform Mega. It was determined that Pagnoni had sent thousands of CSAM files to this individual. During a search of Pagnoni's home in Provincetown in May of 2023 a number of items, including Pagnoni's cellphone, were seized. During a subsequent search of Pagnoni's cellphone, several thousand image files and video files containing CSAM, including at least 51 known series of CSAM as identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, were discovered.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.

The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a of up to 20 years in prison, at least three 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting 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.