MANCHESTER, NH – A Goffstown man was sentenced to 4 to 8 years in the New Hampshire State Prison for possessing more than 5,000 child sexual abuse images.
Hillsborough County Superior Court Northern District Judge Daniel E. Will sentenced Michael Gagnon, 49, after he pleaded guity earlier this week to three counts of possession of child sexual abuse images.
If he completes prescribed treatment while incarcerated, Gagnon will have the opportunity to reduce the minimum sentence by one year. Gagnon also was given a 7 ½ to 15-year suspended sentence that will remain in effect after his release from prison.
The investigation was conducted by Goffstown Police Department detectives and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NHICACTF). It began when task force detectives identified suspicious file sharing activity by downloading these files piece by piece and then tracing them to Gagnon’s IP address.
Police, in executing a search warrant, recovered seven devices containing child sexual abuse images totaling more than 5,000 images. Gagnon admitted to possessing the images, according to the county attorney.
“Our office is dedicated to eradicating exploitation of our children,” said County Attorney John J. Coughlin. “This prosecution is an example of the exemplary work of our Special Victims Unit in coordination with law enforcement partners to bring sexual predators to justice and protect our community.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney Alexander G. Gatzoulis of the Special Victims Unit.
The case was investigated by Goffstown police Detective Jason Oullette and task force detectives John Smith and Scott Tompkins. Merrill Beauchamp was the victim advocate assigned to the case by the county attorney.