Hawleyville Man Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Child Porn Charges

By Andrew Gorosko

HARTFORD – A Hawleyville man pleaded not guilty to three federal child pornography charges at his August 23 arraignment on those charges in US District Court in Hartford.

Earlier this month, a federal grand jury sitting in New Haven had returned an indictment charging Edward F. Wilson, 28, of 12 Hillcrest Drive with one count each of production of child pornography, receipt and distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, according to a statement from David B. Fein, the US Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

That indictment was unsealed at Wilson’s August 23 arraignment before US Magistrate Judge Thomas P. Smith.

 The indictment alleges that in 2011 and 2012, Wilson sexually abused a female child, filmed and photographed that abuse, and maintained the videos and images on his home computer. The victim was approximately 4 years old at the time of the abuse, according to the statement.

Also, it is alleged that Wilson downloaded and traded via e-mail hundreds of other images and videos of child pornography. It also is alleged that Wilson maintained his collection of child pornography in his online e-mail account and on his home computers, according to the statement.

If he is convicted of the charge of production of child pornography, Wilson would face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years. The charge of receipt and distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and a maximum term of 20 years. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum prison sentence of ten years.

Wilson has been held in state custody since he was arrested on April 13 on state charges of first-degree possession of child pornography, obscenity, and promoting a minor in an obscene performance.

Also, on July 10, Wilson was arrested on 22 additional state charges, including six counts of first-degree sexual assault, five counts of fourth-degree sexual assault, and 11 counts of risk of injury to a child.

Wilson this week was being held on $750,000 bail at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield while awaiting his next appearance in Danbury Superior Court, which is scheduled for October 1. Wilson has pleaded not guilty to all 25 state charges. He is represented by a public defender.

On July 16, Newtown police arrested Alexis S. Wilson, 32, of Bethel on a court warrant, charging her with risk of injury to a child in connection with the multiple sex-related charges that police had already filed against her husband, Edward Wilson. Alexis Wilson has separated from Edward Wilson.

Alexis Wilson is free on $2,500 bail for an August 31 appearance in Danbury Superior Court. She has pleaded not guilty to the charge. Ms Wilson is represented by a public defender.

Mr Fein said that the federal case against Edward Wilson is being investigated by the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the Newtown Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The federal case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant US Attorney Neeraj Patel.

Thomas Carson, a spokesman for the US Attorney, said this week that the federal case against Edward Wilson is in the early stages and that he cannot comment on how the state and federal cases against him would proceed or be resolved.

In February, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) sent several reports to the state police for investigation, according to state police.

NCMEC reported that a person appeared to be e-mailing files of suspected child pornography, after which state police started an investigation into the matter and tracked such activity to the address of 12 Hillcrest Drive, Hawleyville, according to state police.

State police then obtained a search-and-seizure warrant from court to obtain evidence there. While seizing that evidence on April 13, police made the initial arrest of Mr Wilson.