Michael A. Clemence of Rochester pleads guilty to child sex abuse images possession
CONCORD — Michael A Clemence, 36, of Rochester, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of child pornography, acting New Hampshire U.S. Attorney John J. Farley announced Tuesday.
The investigation started in February 2020 with a report an IP address associated with Clemence at his Rochester home had accessed a website known for sharing child sexual abuse and exploitation material, Farley said, citing court documents.
On May 26, 2021, agents conducted a consensual interview with Clemence, according to Farley. They advised him they were investigating internet activity associated with child exploitation material and that some of the activity occurred in April 2019 from the IP address associated with his previous address.
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After further investigation, a search warrant was executed at Clemence’s residence, which resulted in the seizure of numerous electronic devices. Forensic examination of the devices confirmed the presence of child exploitation material, according to Farley. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified 1,351 images as depicting known minor victims.
Clemence is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21, 2022.
“Protecting vulnerable young people from exploitation is among the most significant duties of law enforcement,” Farley said. “Those who possess or distribute sexually explicit images of children are further exploiting the innocent youths who were abused during the creation of these images. To protect young children from exploitation, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who commit crimes related to child pornography.”
The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Rochester Police Department and Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland.
Resource: projectsafechildhood.gov
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Michael Clemence of Rochester NH guilty in child sex abuse images case
