Federal authorities say a 23-year-old Southbridge man was caught with a massive stash of child sexual abuse material after investigators uncovered thousands of files on one of his devices. During a preliminary review, agents say they found a folder containing more than 7,000 images and videos.
The defendant, Yojuande Blaize, 23, of Southbridge, was arrested Thursday and brought to federal court in Boston, where he made an initial appearance and was ordered held pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 27, 2026, according to Newport Dispatch. A criminal complaint in U.S. District Court charges him with possession of child pornography and outlines the material investigators say was recovered from his device.
What prosecutors allege
According to charging documents, Blaize allegedly admitted he routinely sought out and purchased child sexual abuse material online and, on multiple occasions, advertised and sold material he had obtained, This Week in Worcester reports. Investigators say the seized files were clustered in a folder on his device, where a preliminary count turned up more than 7,000 photos and videos.
Who announced the case
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Nathan Hebert, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office, publicly announced the charge. Officials said the Southbridge Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service assisted in the investigation, according to Newport Dispatch. Authorities noted the case is being pursued under Project Safe Childhood, the federal initiative that coordinates investigations and prosecutions involving online child exploitation.
Potential penalties and next steps
The possession charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of as much as $250,000, according to federal charging guidelines cited by This Week in Worcester. Blaize remains in federal custody while he awaits the detention hearing in Boston federal court on May 27.
Project Safe Childhood context
The Department of Justice describes Project Safe Childhood as a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to bring together federal, state and local resources to combat online child sexual exploitation. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, it provides the framework for many federal child sexual abuse material prosecutions across the country.
Further federal court filings in Boston will show whether prosecutors seek to expand the case beyond the current possession charge. For now, the detention hearing later this month is the next scheduled public step. This story will be updated as additional court documents or official statements are filed.
