A 70-year-old physician working at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bedford, Mass., was arrested under suspicion of child pornography offenses. Sven Knudsen Ljaamo now faces charges for allegedly receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), following a report that over 100 files of suspected CSAM were uploaded to his Google account. According to a statement from the Department of Justice, Ljaamo was taken into custody and is set for a detention hearing on April 29.
The investigation commenced after law enforcement received a CyberTip. During an interview with the authorities, Ljaamo reportedly confessed to viewing, downloading, and saving explicit material involving female minors. A review of his devices allegedly revealed several CSAM files intermixed with tens of thousands of pornography files. Notably, some content was found on a cell phone kept in his office at the VA Medical Center. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division, publicized the arrest. Assistance was provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, OIG, Northeast Field Office and the Billerica, Lowell, and Salem Police Departments.
These charges come as part of Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative designed to thwart the escalation of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006, the program coordinates efforts at federal, state, and local levels to apprehend offenders and assist victims. For further information on the initiative, the public is encouraged to visit the Justice Department's Project Safe Childhood webpage.
Ljaamo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each charge should he be proven guilty. Specifically, the receipt of child pornography charge warrants a minimum five-year prison term potentially extending up to a lifetime of supervised release and carries a fine up to $250,000. According to the announcement from the Department of Justice, sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sanda Gonzalez Sanchez of the Major Crimes Unit.
It is important to note that these are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The charging documents are currently public allegations pending the outcome of the trial.
