A former police officer from Seabrook, New Hampshire, has been indicted in Boston on a federal charge related to child sexual abuse material. John Giarrusso, 49, of Haverhill, is accused of one count of receipt of child pornography. He was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in August 2025. His arraignment in federal court is pending.
According to charging documents, between October 16 and October 17, 2024, Giarrusso allegedly received video files depicting child sexual abuse material via the Kik messaging platform. The children in the videos were reported to be between five and eleven years old.
If convicted, Giarrusso faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to twenty years in prison. He would also face at least five years and potentially up to a lifetime of supervised release, along with a possible fine reaching $250,000. Sentencing decisions will be made by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today.” The Haverhill Police Department and Essex County District Attorney’s Office assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto from the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordination among federal, state, and local agencies to locate offenders and rescue victims. More information about this initiative can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Authorities remind that all details contained within charging documents are allegations; Giarrusso is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
