A Harwich man has pleaded guilty to charges of possessing child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced. Jonathan Fleischmann, 35, entered his plea in federal court in Boston yesterday, acknowledging guilt on one count of possessing child pornography.
According to the official statement from the prosecutor's office, Fleischmann was initially arrested and charged on May 16, 2023, and has since been in federal custody. It was reported by Fleischmann’s co-workers that his cellphone appeared to be downloading suspect material between March 17 and March 18, 2023, while it was left unattended and charging at the workplace. Law enforcement officials then found approximately 255 image files and 55 video files containing suspected child pornography on the device.
In a separate legal proceeding, on May 23, 2024, Fleischmann had already been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to breaking into a home in Yarmouth and abducting a 16-year-old girl at gunpoint in 2020. During the investigation into that incident, authorities uncovered evidence of Fleischmann’s accessing a dark web service dedicated to child pornography trafficking on his cellphone.
Fleischmann, who is a Level 3 sex offender because of previous convictions including Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14 in 2006 and Open and Gross Lewdness in 2017, is now awaiting sentencing for his latest federal charges, set for October 16, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs. The possession of child pornography charge can carry a sentence ranging from a mandatory minimum of 10 years to as much as 20 years in prison, including a possible fine up to $250,000 and at least five years supervised release post-imprisonment.
The case prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative aiming to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse launched by the Department of Justice in 2006. The ongoing effort marshals the resources of federal, state, and local authorities to track down and prosecute those who exploit children and to help rescue victims. Concerned citizens with any information related to this case are encouraged to contact the public line at 617-748-3274.
