A former pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital, Christopher Sheerer, pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges related to child sexual abuse material. Sheerer, 37, admitted to one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of sexual exploitation of children.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper set sentencing for December 18, 2025. Sheerer was arrested and charged in July 2024 and has remained in federal custody since his arrest.
Sheerer previously held a fellowship at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore before joining Boston Children’s Hospital.
The investigation began in May 2024 after authorities identified a user participating in an encrypted online chat group described as a space for “dads, uncles, and babysitters” to communicate and share illegal material. Entry into the group required users to upload a nude photo of a child under 13 next to a handwritten sign with the group’s name. The user was later identified as Sheerer through an IP address traced back to Johns Hopkins University. Investigators found that he uploaded imagery of a child known to him for admission into the group.
After searching Sheerer’s Boston residence on the night of his arrest, investigators discovered multiple chats on his phone containing images and videos believed to be child sexual abuse material involving children as young as infants. Authorities seized several devices for forensic analysis. The analysis revealed Sheerer had participated in dozens of chats where CSAM was exchanged and located several pornographic images created in 2023 depicting the child known to him.
Federal statutes specify mandatory minimum sentences for these offenses: five years up to 20 years for distribution of child pornography; up to 20 years for possession; and between 15 and 30 years for sexual exploitation of children. Fines can reach $250,000 per charge, with supervised release potentially lasting a lifetime. Sentencing will be determined by federal guidelines.
“United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Districts of Maryland and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Homeland Security Investigations in Baltimore and Harrisburg; and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Soto and Anne Paruti of the Major Crimes Unit are 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.” More information about Project Safe Childhood is available at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
