Benjamin Shacar, a 39-year-old resident of Pittsfield, pleaded guilty on Mar. 19 in federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts to charges related to child sexual abuse material.
Shacar admitted guilt to ten counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled his sentencing for June 22, 2026. Shacar was initially charged by criminal complaint in March 2021.
According to charging documents, Shacar received and possessed illegal materials between August 2020 and March 2021. Law enforcement officers found a thumb drive and laptop containing multiple files depicting child sexual abuse material during a search at his residence. During an interview at the scene, Shacar admitted that he viewed and downloaded such material from the internet.
The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to twenty years in prison, while possession can result in up to ten years imprisonment. Both offenses also include supervised release ranging from five years up to life and potential fines reaching $250,000 per charge. Sentencing will be determined by the federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the plea along with officials from Homeland Security Investigations New England, Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, Massachusetts State Police, and Pittsfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil Desroches and Thomas Barnico are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies.