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Gloucester police officer charged with receiving child porn, prosecutors say
The officer has been charged by federal prosecutors nearly two weeks after he was placed on administrative leave.
A Gloucester police officer is facing child pornography charges after he was placed on administrative leave nearly two weeks ago, federal prosecutors said.
Alexander Aiello, 34, of Gloucester, has been charged with one count of receipt of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Aiello, a patrol officer at the Gloucester Police Department, allegedly had a registered account on a dark website where users could view, download, distribute, and advertise child sexual abuse material, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
“As a law enforcement officer, Mr. Aiello was entrusted with safeguarding the community — and that includes protecting children from exploitation and abuse,” U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said in the statement. “Instead, he allegedly participated in one of the most reprehensible forms of exploitation.”
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Federal investigators seized Aiello’s cell phone and laptop as well as a USB thumb drive which was found in his bedroom nightstand, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They found that a Tor browser, which provides anonymous web browsing and access to services on the dark web, was “installed and actively running” on his laptop, prosecutors said.
Investigators allegedly discovered evidence of recently downloaded files on the Tor browser and found encrypted folders on Aiello’s laptop and USB drive, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Aiello was placed on leave April 28 pending the investigation, the department said on Facebook.
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If convicted, Aiello faces a potential sentence of five to 20 years in prison, five years to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“As a police officer, Alexander Aiello was sworn to protect and serve, but today, the FBI charged him for receiving images of children being sexually abused,” said James Crowley, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Those who seek out this despicable material are perpetuating the victimization of innocent children.”
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